Slayer Jane
by Matheus H. Macedo
Summary: After Buffy Summers dies saving her sister and the world a new Slayer is called but unlike other Slayers this one already has a mission one which was foretold a thousand years ago. Meet a new cast of characters and follow the continuation of the Mythos.
1. Chosen

Chosen

LONDON, ENGLAND

May 22, 2001

"Summers is dead." The young man puts the phone receiver down in a daze. The council stares up, not quite believing it.  
>"Is it for good this time?" Asks Travers. The man by the phone nods." That was Mr. Giles, Apparently Glory is gone as well, I think the threat is over." He announces with a hint of grief in his voice, though he had never met the legendary slayer, when one dies it hits them all.<p>

"Alright then, we get started right away, do we have a lead on the next potential?"

"I heard something from India, but nothing confirmed yet." Someone says from the back.

"Wasn't there something in Japan recently?" Another voice inquires. Travers stands and moves toward the back of the room where he pulls down a map. Stereotypical red thumbtacks mark points of interest in every country on earth. "Yes, there were reports of a girl surviving a car crash in the Kano-gawa River, she was very near death."

"What makes you think she is a potential?"

"It was a three hundred foot drop. Stepeck, would you go and see about this girl?"  
>Olson Stepeck doesn't hear a word of this, his thoughts are still with Mr. Giles, they'd only met a few times but Olson held him in very high regard. He wondered how Mr. Giles was taking the death of his Slayer, and how it would feel to be in his place, Olson doubted his ability to ever become so close to a subject, he wasn't sure it was even appropriate and yet he admired Mr. Giles for it.<p>

"Mr. Stepeck?" Travers repeated.

"Yes?"

"Will you go to Japan, see about this girl for us?"

"Oh Yes, of course..."

"Thank you, and Mrs. Moore would you be willing to follow up on the girl in India?"

Stepeck gatheres his things and is out of the room before he hears the rest, a girl in Japan, he'd heard something about it before though not much was confirmed. So much to do now. In his office he begins to pack, all his life and this is what it's lead to, some girl in Japan. He'd been disappointed before, sent out to find potentials who turned out to be your run of the mill ordinary, extraordinary girls. But with every assignment came the possibility of a Slayer. A girl who's destiny had been foretold, a sacred duty, and it would be his job to walk her though it, to prepare her, what a joke. He didn't even know what to pack and how to arrange his clothes in a suitcase so they wouldn't wrinkle. They always wrinkled. Silly thoughts filled his mind like will he get paid in pounds, dollars or yen? This is the man they put in charge of fostering a stranger, a young grieving girl into Slayerhood? What a joke.  
>"Any questions Mr. Stepeck?" Travers opens the office door without knocking, this room is all but empty in his eyes. "No. Well, I was just wondering, will Mr. Giles be coming back? I would very much like to talk to him."<br>"I suspect he might, though not in time, he has the funeral and other things to tend to. He made quite the life for himself over there. You will be gone by the time he returns if he does at all."

"I see."

"Don't get caught up in other peoples business now Olson, it's your time, this girl will need guidance, you need to focus."

"But she might not be the Slayer, I mean it's not certain..."

"She's yours to train, yours to mold. Slayer or not she is a potential, We've confirmed it, she's shown signs of it before, we've had eyes on her for some time, there's something strange going on over there. If she has not been activated you will tell her who she is, you will train her and you will report back."

"Yes sir."

"Don't be scared, this a sacred duty."

"Yes sir." He replies all the while thinking, what a joke.

…...

The girl stares out the window as she has for the past two days. A cup of shiny green Jello sits in her hands unwavering. Her breathing is shallow, barely visible, entirely inaudible. She is not a supermodel but nevertheless pretty, she features deep brown eyes and a small thin mouth, her hair is cut in a short in an American bob falling steady straight and curving upward at the bottom. She is the only one here who doesn't speak Japanese, without the ability to communicate she is left alone. Nothing moves, not even the Jello.  
>"Time for medicine." a nurse states through a heavy Japanese accent. She kneels down beside the girl. "Check bandage?" She asks. No response, Jello still as steel. The nurse slowly pulls back the thick yellow bandage on the girl's arm. The skin beneath it shows only a hint of a wound, a long gash now closed and healed. "Oh!" The nurse exclaims. "Already healed!"<br>The girl loses her focus on the leaves outside, her head tilts down to the spot where the bandage was. "Healed?" The girl says in surprise, for a moment she is quiet, then, she stands. "I want to go home now." She says.  
>"No no, still need hospital! Counselor, counselor!" The nurse starts to panic.<br>"I don't need a counselor, I have to go." The girl stands and starts to leave. The nurse runs off in the way of the orderlies. In her room the girl finds clothes given to her by the hospital through good will. She couldn't stand the site of the place anymore, the smell, the people, everything in here was dying, and she had things to do. She takes a pair of jeans and a halter top to the bathroom where she rips off the hospital gown.  
>A doctor enters the room followed by two orderlies. "Where you going?" The doctor asks through the door.<br>"Home." She replies.  
>"You need more hospital. Grief counselor need you to stay."<br>"I'm fine."  
>She steps out of the bathroom, dressed but still pale from a lack of sun, her skin an unhealthy grey. She looks at the three men in front of her for a minute. "The police still need to talk to you." Says the doc.<br>She maneuvers around him, the orderlies, big and bulky stand in front of the door. "You don't want to do that." She says and tries to bypass them. As she takes a step forward and one of them grabs her arms holding them tightly at her sides. They stand face to face and she wonders why he isn't holding her tighter. She extends her arms out to her sides, he is powerless to stop her. The second orderly steps in. Without thought or hesitation she throws a quick decisive kick into his stomach and head-butts the other. Both are down in a matter of seconds. She steps over them and walks out. For a moment she walks alone, down the hall and around the corner she begins to pick up speed.  
>The blare of the hospital PA system sounds calling for security to head for the exits scares her but not enough to stop. Down the hall she sees a guard on his walkie. Still as statues they look at each other for a moment. He takes a step toward her and she bolts. He gives chase. Past patients in robes and doctors in coats she runs into an elevator and hits the garage button. The doors close just in time. A million thoughts coarse through her mind as the elevator dings its way down the building. '<em>Adrenalin adrenalin adrenalin<em>' she repeats over and over in her head trying to keep this supernatural speed and strength going until she's free. The last ding is the loudest.  
>The doors open and seven guards stand ahead ready to bring her in. '<em>Seven.' <em>She thinks, '_Seven seven seven.'_One reaches out, she pulls his hand into the elevator and stops him with her knee, another swings his baton, she means to ducks but isn't fast enough, it hits her across the face, the shock of it sends her back a few feet. By the time it takes for her to recover three more are already on top of her. The policy is not to harm patients but when it becomes obvious that they cannot for whatever reason, overpower the girl, two of the guards take out their tasers and blast her full of electricity. She screams, she fights, she kicks. They shock her some more and she's down. Handcuffs are placed carefully and jokes are made about the guard on the ground, though through the laughter they all share a look, a look that says 'lucky I wasn't him.'

….

A young Japanese detective sits across the wooden table from the girl. He is smoking a cigarette and staring at her through monotone eyes, a tactic meant to be intimidating but succeeding only at irritating. It's a little white room full of papers and bulletin boards on the walls, no one way mirror, no orange jumpsuit, nothing like TV. The detective offers her a cigarette, she leans in, handcuffed to the chair and takes it with her lips, before he has a chance to light it a Japanese woman enters, she apologizes for her tardiness and sits. The detective speaks in Japanese and the interpreter interprets for the girl.  
>"Why did you run?"<br>"I just wanted to leave. I didn't want to be there anymore."  
>"You were under investigation."<br>"It was an accident."  
>"We have video of you with a gun..."<br>"I was defending myself."  
>"You beat up the orderlies and a guard. Who trained you?"<br>"It was just luck."  
>"Lucky girl."<br>"Is that what I am?"  
>"We searched your wallet, found many different ID's, with a lot of different names, what is your real name? Where do you live?"<br>"I don't live anywhere."  
>"What is your name?"<br>Jane. Doe."  
>The door opens and the captain steps in. "Interview over." He says and bends down to unlock the girls' handcuffs. The detective protests but the captain doesn't hear it, he leads the girl out of the room and into the offices where a man in a suit stands waiting. "You go with him." The captain tells the girl and she steps toward the man who is filling out paper work, he extends a hand to her. "Olson Stepeck." he says. She looks at him with utter disinterest. They walk out of the station together but apart.<br>"You created quite a scene at the hospital." He says.  
>"Who are you?"<br>"That's going to take some time to explain, here this is my car."  
>"Where are we going?"<br>"I can drive you home."  
>"Can I drive?"<br>"Oh, um, I'd rather not-"  
>"Have you been in Japan before?"<br>"No."  
>"Well it's know for confusing traffic and accidents."<br>"Okay, I don't see why not." He says.

He hands her the keys and they get in. "So what I have to tell will be quite shocking..."  
>She pushes the lighter button on the console. "You're a Watcher, I kind of figured that out when the police let me go without a second thought. The council is said to have quite a bit of influence, good to know it's not all just stories. That and the tweed suit, you kind of stand out in Japan."<br>"Wait, you know? I was told you had no idea about who you are."  
>"It was explained to me a long time ago, trust me I know." She says and lights the cigarette.<br>"And you know you've been activated?"  
>She stares straight ahead for a moment. "No, I mean, maybe, I don't know I guess I figured it out sometime after they brought me in. How'd she die? The other Slayer?"<br>"I'm not sure exactly, all I know is she gave her life, saved the world."  
>"Far out." She says and takes a sharp left turn.<br>"Where are we heading?"  
>"To my friend's place. My apartment is being watched we can't go there."<br>"They never told me your name."  
>"Jane."<br>The car screeches and stops in front of a large abandoned brick building. "Here?" Olson asks confused. "Here." She says and they step out, "It's the safest place we have for now." Inside, the ceiling dips low soggy with rainwater, the wall paper curls from every side obstructing the way. She leads Olson around the hall and down the stairs into the basement where the floor and walls are beautifully painted, computers and monitors line the sides of the room. A young man holding a sawed off shotgun looks up and sees her. He runs to her wrapping his arms tight around her petite figure. "We were just mounting up for a rescue. I thought you were going to stay at the hospital for a while." He says without looking at Olson.  
>"You know it wasn't safe there, why didn't you get me out?"<br>"I tried but you were completely unresponsive, we couldn't take care of you, but we were watching... 'course than you got all crazy with the kicking and we had to back off... And I'm sorry... about..." He doesn't finish, he doesn't have to. She gives him a thank you nod.  
>"We were on our way to get you now, just had to figure out a way around all the cops and guns and imminent death..."<br>"Excuse me, Hi, I'm Olson Stepeck, I'm her lawyer, how do you know Jane?"  
>The Young looks at Olson, "Her lawyer? Are you sure you're not her Watcher Mr. Tweed?"<br>"How many people know exactly?" Olson asks but the young man interrupts, "Wait a minute, does this mean what I think it means?"  
>Jane looks at him with a half smile. He hugs her again, even tighter this time. "My best friend's a Slayer!" He turns back to Olson, "Name's Crash." He says and shakes Olson's hand.<br>A voice from the back of the room, "I wanna see you break something." The girl steps out from behind an old computer she's stripping for parts.  
>"Belle!" Jane runs to her.<br>"Hello Slayer." Belle says proudly.  
>Olson steps behind them. "And you don't care about the one before you?"<br>"The Summers girl?" Belle asks rhetorically, "Of course we do, she was a legend. But she's done her time and moved on, we have a lot of work to do."  
>"I know that I'm her watcher. First thing we have to do is train, a Slayer is useless without proper training."<br>"I've been training since I was six."  
>"Trained by who?"<br>"We don't have time for life stories right now, we have to move."  
>"If you're so well trained then why did you get caught?" Olson asks not quite letting it go.<br>"There were seven guards. And they had tasers...They hurt."  
>"When I'm through with you you'll be able to take twice that many if not more. Who's been training you, and what is this place?"<br>Jane heads to a set of lockers on the wall and opens one, she takes out a knife and a duffel bag full of weapons. "We have to go see Or, she'll know where to go from here."  
>"Who's Or?" Asks Olson.<br>"She's a friend, she knows things, helpful things." Crash says laying a hand on Olson's shoulder.  
>"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"<br>"What's going on is we're in real gloomy trouble and we need someone who can help us figure out a way out of it." Jane says as she holster and silver knife into her belt. "Who's got wheels, Mr Tweed picked me up at the police station, it's useless now."  
>"Useless? It's a rental, I can't just leave it."<br>"Trust me, if you want it safe you'll leave it just where it is."  
>"I just boosted a sweet Mercedes, she's parked in the garage." Crash.<br>"It's a stick, you don't drive stick." Belle chimes in.  
>"I do, just takes a sec to get it going." He continues as they start up the stairs arguing about who should drive. Jane leans to Olson and whispers, "They used to date."<br>In the end it's Belle taking sharp turns, shifting into second gear blowing past the red lights. "Got no finesse, the transmission will be shot by the time we get there." Crash mutters. Belle shifts into third.  
>"Will you please shut up, look out the window, I think I saw a puppy, think about that for a while." Belle says sarcasm strong.<br>"Shouldn't I be driving?" Olson asks Jane as he grips his suitcase in the backseat. "Why?" She replies.  
>"Because, well, I am the adult, and also, I think we might die."<br>"No she's fine, trust me, nothing to worry about."  
>"Speaking of which, I was told you were in a car accident, do you mind me asking what happened?"<br>"It wasn't a car and it wasn't an accident, we're here."  
>The car stops and all four doors pop open simultaneously. "Belle, stay here? Keep an eye out?" Jane asks, Belle nods. Olson looks around confused but follows as they walk into an empty lot. "Is it underground?" He asks but before anyone can answer him a giant seven story hotel manifests itself where the empty lot used to be, a doorman lets them in. The hotel is extravagant, patrons and staff look at them as they enter. Olson notices a man in the corner, he knows immediately, "Vampire, in the corner."<br>"I know, it's okay, be cool." Jane says and they reach the front desk.  
>"Is she expecting you?" Asks the concierge.<br>"She is."  
>They move to the elevator and ride to the seventh floor. "Why is she expecting us? And why are we letting vampires roam free? And why is this hotel invisible?" Olson's cool is losing out to his frustrations. Crash tries to explain, "This is a sanctuary of sorts, we don't fight here. And it's a spell, to keep it hidden from the bad elements."<br>"I don't understand, are vampires not bad elements."  
>"They are pests, nothing more, this place is hidden from all things bent on the destruction of life."<br>"Vampires destroy lives."  
>"No I mean all life."<br>"How do they keep vampires and demons civilized?"  
>"There are rules here, ancient rules, it's the way it's always been."<br>"And what if someone breaks the rules?"  
>"Well then they get deported..."<br>"That's not so bad."  
>"…From time and space. And in case any bad elements get the idea to siege the hotel, it moves to a safer location and is cloaked and hidden except for a few who know how to find it. This is a place full of strange and powerful beings with extremely powerful magics not to be taken lightly."<br>The elevator stops and the doors open on a dwarf standing on the other side gnawing on a twizzler.  
>"Slayer. Come. And company too." Says the gnome.<br>Olson starts,"We're not company we're her-"  
>"Helpers?" The creature interrupts.<br>He waddles down the hall. "What's your name buddy?" Crash asks as if talking to a dog. "Morphy." The gnome says without turning around. Crash smiles "Aw, that's adorable." Morphy turns and with shifty eyes whispers something in Crash's direction. He continues walking. Crash suddenly feels an itch in the middle of his back, it doesn't burn or hurt, it's only an Itch, he tries to scratch it but can't reach. The Gnome wears a hidden smile. They reach door 707, and Morphy knocks.  
>The door opens on its own, Olson cautiously follows the gang inside, Or sits on a sofa in the living room, she is reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. As they enter she looks up, her eyes glow a radiant blue. "Power." Or states. "I felt it a block away, how are you handling it Slayer?"<br>"I like it, it feels familiar and comfortable, like pajamas."  
>"Being a Slayer feels like comfortable pajamas?" Or asks.<br>"It's hard to explain."  
>"Moving right along then, you're here for information?"<br>"We wanted to know if you knew or felt anything, about what happens next, about what was written? About me?"  
>"I can only say what I feel, what was written is still a mystery, the only people who know or <em>think<em>they know what the prophecy says are the unfortunate misguided souls you've known your whole life."  
>"Yeah, those guys suck."<br>"What is your friend doing?" Or asks tilting her head.  
>Jane turns around, behind them Crash is trying to no avail to reach the middle of his back where the itch grows more and more irritating.<br>"Never mind him," Jane says, "...do you know where I could find the books, where all of this is supposedly written about me?"  
>"Not yet but I can try."<br>Or stands and walks to the center of the room. She closes her eyes and raises her hands, palms facing the ceiling. She begins an ancient Latin chant. Jane and Olson watch in mild amazement. Behind them Crash rubs his back against the doorknob.

…...

Outside Belle leans on the car, bored. A puddle on the blacktop catches her eye, tiny shock wave circles form as bits of the drizzling rain crash on the water. Then, inside the puddle between the rippling waves a silhouette appears. She looks up at the man in front of her, his eyes yellow-black slits like a cat's. "Hello Belle, how long's it been?"


	2. Prophecy Girl

Prophecy Girl

Belle pulls the harnessed metal staff from her back and swings- the man ducks and dodges, she thrusts the staff center mass but without much effort he blocks the blow and rips the staff from her hands and tosses it aside.

"Still as sassy as ever." He says and swings with a left. She pulls back in time but he immediately blows an uppercut with his right and she goes rolling over the car and falls on the other side landing face first on the pavement. She can feel a hairline fracture on her jaw. Before she can stand she sees the car shaking and soon the two front wheels lift off the ground, the man on the other side pushes it up and the car fall on its back. Belle jumps up and grips two knifes from her belt.

"Seriously? You're still going to fight me?" he asks perplexed.

"You think I'd just run away?"

"After I tossed a car to the side like that... that didn't impress you?"

She runs at him with the knifes, she's fast with her jabs but he has no problem blocking them. He grabs her by the collar, her right hand comes up with a knife, he swats it off- the blade goes flying, her left hand comes up and the same thing again, the metal tings and slides somewhere on the street. She is left unarmed. He pulls her close, his eyes change, they look human now.

"Little girls shouldn't play with such sharp things." He puts another hand on her collar and with a mighty shove he pushes her up and into the empty lot ahead but instead of falling she disappears somewhere over it, about seven stories up.

"Aw, good show you imbecile." He says to himself. He tries to enter the hidden hotel but finds only an empty parking lot.

Belle coughs blood and glass for a few moments after crashing through the window. She jumps to her feet and runs to room 707. She pushes the door open hitting Crash in the back. "He's here, he's outside." She says in half a panic. Or stops the ritual, "I know where the books are, don't worry he can't get inside." Or moves to the coffee table in front of her, she lays a hand on the newspaper she was reading and the ink dissolves and turns, forming a map. She and hands it to Jane, Or closes her eyes and a tiny light appears in the center burning a small hole into it. "There, go, you'll find the books, maybe _they_can help you figure out what you need to do."

Jane takes the map with gratitude. "Can _you_tell me anything? I know you feel things, do you sense anything?"

Or goes quiet, her polite smile fades, "Dark things are coming." The room is still, a sinking silence fills all their stomachs. Olson looks at the beaten Belle and back at Jane, "Wait, who's outside?"

…...

_Running, it's always been running. _Jane thinks as they exit the hotel in an entirely different part of the world. The map is of a desert somewhere in Morocco, Or found an exit for them there, she explained to a confused Olson about the different ways into the hotel and how it has exists and entrances somewhere between time and space and with a little concentration once could come out almost anywhere. _No more running. _Jane looks into the unrelenting sun, a minute ago it was night in Japan now it's mid afternoon in Morocco. The sun boils and burns as they march the desert, Jane takes a quick look at her companions and know they won't last long like this. They need transportation.

Olson goes along with it all uncomplaining as he was raised, but confused and somewhat frustrated, this is not what he had in mind when he vowed to sacrifice his own needs for the cause. The Watcher's council had been sacred since he was a child, now, he wasn't sure what is was he was supposed to do. This girl knew about her fate, she didn't seem to fight it, acceptance, he was told, would be the hardest part for any new Slayer. And yet here he was with this unknown girl, a Jane Doe, a mystery, completely aware of her duty and no sign that she wanted out. Some Slayers come and go, some become legends, but something told him this one would fall somewhere in between, completely unique, her struggle seemed to have begun long before he showed up.  
>Crash snuck up to the car as the rest of them stayed back behind a small broken brick wall across the street. He opened the door and climbed in, "I should have gone, he's too slow someone will see us." Belle sighs rubbing her injured jaw. "He's perfectly capable, he just likes to be careful, careful takes time." Jane retorts. Olson finds that once they kneel behind the stones and he can no longer think of the big picture, he is actually enjoying himself, he hasn't hid from anything or caused mischief in years. But still he has a duty though it seems no one here much needs or cares for what he has to offer.<br>"Jane, if you need help, I mean if you need to hide from this man, whatever he is, the council can help, they have many safe houses-" But Olson is interrupted by the chatter of two men speaking Arabic heading to the car.

"Slow idiot." Belle mutters. In the seconds before the two men reach the car Jane sees in Olson's eyes the need to be useful . He's practically a hitchhiker at this point, she feels pity for him, just before the two men discover Crash she turns to him and tells him "The whole point of this trip is to find the Prophecy about me, they'll tell me what will happen and what I can do to stop what's coming." The two men open the door and find Crash stealing their car. They pull him out and try to beat him but he evades their advances. "Should we help?" Belle asks, "In a minute," Jane says and continues."I don't want to hide, hiding is what I do, running is who I am, what I have been, but I'm grown now, and things have to change." She jumps over the little wall and walks to the street where one of the men has managed to catch Crash and the other is about to punch him.

"Do you guys know how to get to the Hidden Caves? I've got a map but it's written in some ancient language and has very little modern monuments to help me locate myself, almost no drawings at all."  
>"Do you not see us trying to beat this slimy car thief?"<br>"I do see, but I'm in a hurry."

"Okay Okay- go down the road and take left, go straight for ten miles and look left, you will see mountains but caves are hard to find. Very hidden."

"Very hidden, Hidden Caves, makes sense, thanks." She hits the first guy with a kick, his head knocks hard on the ground and he falls unconscious, the second man lets go of Crash and runs at her- she leans back, his punch misses her by a foot. He trips and falls from the confusion but before he can get up she gives him a quick jab to the back of the head and he goes too goes unconscious. "They had a right to be pissed, we are taking their car." Belle tells her and she walks over the sleeping man. "If I could have asked to borrow it I would have but, that's just not where we're at in modern society. They'll be fine."

…...

The car raises a mile of dust behind it as they ride beneath the scorching desert sun. Crash plays with the AC unit, turning the knobs every each way, refusing to believe the truth- "It's broken genius." Belle groans and puts her hair in a ponytail. Crash periodically looks up at the road as he drives but mostly concentrates on the ventilation system. "No no, it'll work, it will work..."

"See..." Jane begins to tell Olson, "...this is when you should be scared of a terrible fiery death, we call him Crash for a reason." Jane tells Olson who remains gripped to the door.

"you mean that's not his birth name?" he jokes.

"Hey, you made a funny!"

"Humour keeps the fear at bay."

"Don't worry we'll be there soon." Jane says tapping his shoulder in sympathy.  
>"I need to know more," Olson says more seriously, "I was sent here to help you, I can help, I<br>don't want to be just a long for the ride, I've studied these things for years, I can help, tell me,

who are these people who have followed you all these years? Who was that man who hurt Belle?"

She sighs, the smile fades, "I don't know if you can help, the Watchers council really has no part in this, they're not mentioned in the prophecy-"

"I thought you hadn't read it, isn't that where we're going?"

"Yeah but I've been told about it and never has anyone said anything about

a Watcher saving the day. I'm not saying you can't be of use I'm just saying,

I don't know how you can help... But if you want to know I'll tell you, I'll tell you what I know

and it's not everything..."

"Alright."

"The one who told me all of this is... His name is Nathan, or was, I'm not sure if he's alive now."

"Who is he?"

"Not who, more of a what. He was a sentry of Equrest."

"That's not possible."

"You're a Watcher, you should know this."

"Do you know what Equrest is?"

"Well... I know Nathan came from it..."

"The Realm of Equrest _has _no soldiers, it is a law, like fate or death, it's real but incorporeal. It is the rule of balance, for every Slayer born a demon or vampire comes into existence who has more or less the same strengths, the same way, if a god comes to earth someone like Buffy will be there to stop them from destroying the world, or at least the realm of Equrest puts her there to have a chance, the outcome is decided on the ground."

The car turns left, Jane understands Olson, what he is telling her is true, though he doesn't seem to understand that what she is telling him is also true.

"I know it's not a corporeal thing, it has no mass, it's not a dimension, that's why this is different, Nathan _did _come from it, he was born of it, I don't know how, I don't think he does either, but he was put here to help me, this prophecy, it's about me, about now. He was created in response to an imbalance, that's what he told me, that guy with the cat eyes, the one who hurt Belle, he was created from all things nasty to kill me, well that's the theory anyway. I'm not sure how he was created or by who exactly, but he wasn't mean to be, to exist, he's an extra, like an extra being in the universe, one which wasn't supposed to be here, and from that event Nathan was... forged, or spawned, I don't know, and I don't know if cat eyed guy's just here to kill me or fulfill the dark side of the prophecy but I know he's bad news, and I know that's why we have to see exactly what is written."

"And you don't know where he is now? Nathan? If he is what you say I think he would be a great asset."

"Asset? You could call him that, he was more like a father to me but who's labeling..."

"I'm sorry I-"

"Don't worry about it, he was with me and Jack on the bridge when they came, those guys we don't know what they call themselves but let's just say, they take 'cat eyes' side on this fight, oh and he was there too by the way, they're like his minions or something. Nathan stayed to fight him, Jack and I took off on his motorcycle, they gave chase, I shot a few of them but they had cars, in a fight with bikes and cars, cars win every time..."

"Jack?" Olson asks afraid of the answer.

"My boyfriend.." She says looking out the window. "He didn't make it."

The car stops in front of a small rock formation, a cave lies in the middle, hidden behind mounds of dirt. "We're here" Crash says. Jane swallows the lump in her throat saying "Okay disciples, let's get book wormy."


	3. Anne

Anne

April 13th, 1980

The car lay upside down in the rain, tires turning toward the sky. The woman inside was unconscious, blood pouring freely from a gash above her eyebrow. Twenty minutes later she is rushed through the doors of the hospital, her belly protruding, full of baby. "My son..." She whispers to the resident guiding her gurney. "We'll get your baby, don't worry, how far along are you?" he asks as they turn the corner, "Seven, months." she says, "...my son..." her eyes fall shut. She will never wake again.

In the following hours there is a C-section performed, the baby escapes alive. "A girl..." The resident says to himself perplexed. "Yeah?" The doctor inquires as the nurse cleans the baby and puts her in an incubator. "No it's just that she kept saying 'My son.' I guess I assumed she'd checked, she seemed so sure."

"Well a boy would have been better with no mother or no father, she'll go into foster care, another Jane Doe, I don't even want to think about what kind of upbringing she'll have."

"Are we sure there's no family?"

They head out into the hallway, the doctor takes his bloody gloves off and throws them in the dispenser.

"One of the EMT's said he searched her bag, found about fourteen different driver's licenses all different names, from different states, they think she's a fugitive or something."

As they step out into the lobby, they see a man drenched from the rain standing in the middle of the E.R looking like hell. "Where's the girl?" Nathan asks, the two men stand rock solid afraid to move. A security guard moves toward him, Nathan lifts his hand toward him and an invisible force shoves the guard across the room. Nathan walks past the doctors and into the nursery where he sees the baby with no name. 'Jane Doe' is written on a tag in the plastic casing. He lifts the plastic and removes the tubes from her veins and face. "You can't, she's weak, she needs those!" A nurse begs him. "No, she isn't weak, not at all." He says and wraps her in a blanket.

…...

"That was an exciting day remember? I have to admit it, things were happening." The black slits blink into human eyes, he stands before Nathan who hangs shackled and chained to the wall, beaten and cut, blood stains his torso, "...even _I _didn't know all the little things that were going on that night, did you know I had no idea about the girl? Was _my _face red when I found out she was right there in the car, completely helpless, ah, but I was young, after all, it was the date of my birth, and ironically enough, hers as well."

"It's not irony, it was predestined, idiot."

"...Let's not fight. We already did that and I kind of kicked your ass." He approaches Nathan and lays a hand on his head, "Do you think you have brains in there? For all we know it could be a bunch of clouds with information and every time you open your mouth the right words come out..."

"Get fu-"

"Yes those would be the right words for this situation wouldn't they? But seriously think about it, maybe you're a flesh robot, not your own being but a puppet being used by a higher power, that would be nifty. Curiosity is my weakness, speaking of which, I need to know where the Codex is. We had fun, but I'm bored now."

"There are pages all over the world, most of it not hidden, why don't you ask those who have it?"

"You know the part I want, the rest of those prophecies have almost all come to pass, the others speak of things that do not concern us, I want the part about me, and her, and even you." He finds a packet of cigarettes in his back pocket and lights one.

"No one knows where they are, you know that."

"Yes but we can find out, that's why your scoobie gang went to see Or in the hotel, she knew a way to find the missing piece."

"She's a powerful being, ancient, she was here thousands of years before the prophecy was written."

"Well I have a powerful being too, how come she can't do it?"

"Your witch is full of tricks and dark magic, but that doesn't make her powerful."

"Oh you'd be surprised what she can do, the things she can take from you without even touching, important things."

"Don't your little followers have books about this? Isn't this what their faith is all about?" Nathan asks, his blood covers the floor like a crimson wet carpet, he grows weaker and weaker by the minute.

"It's all omens, vague descriptions, nothing like the the Pergamum Codex. Details is the name of the game."

Just then someone comes in, a girl no more than fourteen, her long flowing hair held tight in french-braids, she skips into the room looking rather bored. "Ah, we were just talking about you darling." Says cat eyes.

"Reaaally? What about me?" She asks somewhat interested.

"About how powerful you are and all the things you can do."

"I mostly like to _undo_." She looks at Nathan for a moment and smiles. Suddenly he screams in pain. "Oh, very good dear, though I don't see anything, what're you doing to him?" The man says confused.

"I'm unraveling it all, things are all tied up in there." She says. Through his skin Nathan's abdomen appears to have a thousand crawling snakes inside. His intestines move in ways they were not meant to.

"Yes let us not go too far with the torture, this is a valuable prize we have here."

She turns away losing interest anyway. Nathan breaths deep, he looks up at him "You know what the call you? Cat eyes, what's the deal with that anyway?" Nathan spits and prepares, the girl turns back to him and raises a hand to his throat though she doesn't need to touch it. He struggles for breath, cat eyes lowers her hand. "Don't fall for that darling he's just trying to make it easier on his little gang of rascals and have us kill him, but we need him, the Slayer has a soft spot for this one. You can tell your friends, if you ever see them again, that I have a name, and it's not cat eyes, it's Risser, and this..." He walks back to the girl who's wandering about the room looking at things, "...this is Caden, okay now darling we have to find out what he knows okay? Put your hands on his head-"

"Ew."

"Yeah I know he's all sweaty but we have to look inside, he's just about weak enough but you might have to fight him a little okay?"

"Okay..." She walks up to Nathan, Risser steps aside but not before reminding him, "If you want to make some noise that's fine, just remember, no one can hear hear you here."

"Open up." The girl says and lays her hands on him. She smiles. He screams.

…...

"Did you hear that?" Crash asks. Everyone stops moving, they listen in the dark. "It was like a scream..."

"Probably just an echo, my feet keep scraping against the rock." Jane says.

"No no I heard it too, it was from outside." Olson reassures.

Another scream, this time much more clear than before. They run out of the cave, at the foot of the mound beneath them by the road a girl their age has fallen on her knees next to the car. She is dressed in jeans and a bloody white tee-shirt, she does not belong. Jane steps down to her. She shakes and twitches. "Hey, you're hurt, what happened?" Jane opens the back door to of the car and helps her inside, she notices the blood on the girls' nose is fresh but on her shirt it is dried and dirty, at least a few days old. "I'm Jane... these people here behind us are my friends, you're okay. What's your name?"  
>The girl looks reluctantly at the group outside the car, she mutters, Jane needs to get close to hear what she's saying, and what she's saying is this. "Olson Stepeck Crash Belle Jane Jane Jane, Jane Doe, no place to go..." She looks up into Jane's eyes. "My name's Anne." <p>


	4. The Witch

The Witch

The air is heavy and somber, they sit around the table in a cheap Moroccan hotel room looking at scraps of an ancient document and a girl who has a hard time staying in the here and now. "Ruined... completely unreadable" Crash says, "...we didn't think of that. Maybe we can find someone who restores old documents."  
>"We can't go around telling people we have the missing piece of the Pergamum Codex you dope." Belle says rolling her eyes.<p>

Olson studies the text, only a few pages, after Jane put Anne in the car Olson and Crash went back into the caves and found the prophecies hidden beneath a stone slab and buried in the dirt. They had been there for hundreds of years. Almost nothing is left, he can only make out a few words.

Jane sits across from the the jittery and spacey Anne, something happened to her, though no one quite knows what.

"Anne, hey, do you need anything?" Jane's voice is soft and sweet. "You can talk to me if you want, about whatever happened..."

"I was, I was with someone, she's home now with her parents, I don't have parents."  
>"Okay... who is 'she'? Was she your friend?"<p>

"My friend, yes my friend. She left, I don't blame her. I started talking to the man, she didn't understand, I didn't either really."

"Okay you're going too fast, tell me how you know our names..."  
>"Hard to explain... Need an example?"<br>"Um, yeah okay."  
>"Knock knock..."<br>Jane looks at the rest of the group, "Who's there...?" But the girl doesn't say anything, "Oh, I guess it's not a knock knock joke... Anyone have a theory?" They all shrug, just then two short knocks at the door. Olson is about to answer when it hits him. They all look at the girl who just predicted the event. Olson looks through the peep hole in the door and opens it.  
>"...Here comes the witch." Anne mumbles to herself.<br>"Hello there." Olson says bending down. A girl of fourteen stands outside with a pretty pin stripped dress. She is smiling and eating an apple. "No!" Jane screams but before he know what's wrong Olson is doubled over in pain. The girl wanders inside.  
>"Get out of here!" Jane Yells.<br>"Don't be rude, I'm a guest." Caden replies in a huff.  
>"How did you find us?" Belle asks calmly.<br>"Babbity rabbity, he told me just where you were."  
>Jane, "What the hell are you talking about."<br>"No one reads anymore, our prisoner, you know the tall guy, I opened him up, took a look inside, saw this room."  
>"Nathans alive?" Belle says mostly to herself.<br>"Let him go." Jane says looking at Olson on the floor. Canden agrees and Olson finally stops squirming. "Something isn't right here..." Caden says, she walks further into the room, her eyes stop when they fall on Anne. "So you found a seer, that's interesting." Jane looks at the shaky Anne, "Seer... Yeah, and she's powerful too, she saw you coming hours ago."  
>"And you stayed? That's brave."<br>"No, we knew you weren't going to do anything, not as long as we had these..." Jane moves to the table with the prophecies. She grabs the pages in one hand and ignites her lighter with the other. Caden becomes less animated now, a one track mind.  
>"I'm going to need to take those." She says.<br>"These ancient things, they burn so easy..."  
>"I could put it out with a glance." Caden says seriously.<br>"Maybe, but it's brittle, it would fall apart, the boss wouldn't be happy with that, I've seen cat eyes mad, it's no good."  
>"You think <em>he's<em>in charge? You people are clueless... Give those to me now, or he dies." She reaches a hand back at Olson's direction "Bollocks..." he says and suddenly he's back on the ground in horrible pain again. Anne stands, "Stop. Please, I'll give it to you, you can have it, but you have to go, don't hurt anyone else."  
>The witch lowers her hand and once again Olson can relax. Anne walks from her chair to Jane who still holds the chapped pages in her hand. Anne carefully takes them looking into Jane's eyes. Jane sees something there and chooses to trust it. Anne rolls up the papers and walks to Caden. She hands her the prophecies.<br>The girl places the apple in her mouth and with both hands takes the ancient documents. "How do you know?" Caden asks Anne, "How do you know I'm not going to kill you and your friends with a slight of the wrist right now? I won't, but how do you seers know things like that? I've always wondered."  
>"It's just natural. I don't know how it works."<br>"That's what you all say. Oh well." She turns and starts to walk away when Jane interrupts.  
>"What about Nathan? Where is he?"<br>"We'll just keep that a secret for now..."  
>Caden walks out of the room stepping over Olson to do so. The broken watcher slowly stands to close the door, as he does he notices that the girl is not in the hall, she is gone.<br>"Why?" Jane asks Anne.  
>"That's kind of a loaded question right now, can you specify?" Anne says in a whimper.<br>"Why didn't she kill us."  
>"I'm not sure, but I knew she wouldn't. Orders I think."<p>

"You gave them the Prophecies... I'm not judging, honestly I have no idea where I was going with that fire idea..."

"I just knew she'd leave if she had them, and I knew they were useless, ruined right?" She looks at Olson who's still recovering. "Right." He responds.

"Well... That's good I guess. I mean thanks, you kept from having anyone else get hurt, but we still don't know what they said, we have no idea what's supposed to happen now."

Anne shoots her a look as if to say _actually..._ "I have this thing about touching objects. Sometimes I can get a read off of them. That's why took them from you, it's very rare, that's why I gave it to her, there's almost no one in the world who can do it. I saw the man who wrote it, he was possessed by something, I saw a lot of things. I think I know what's going to happen."

Jane smiles with surprise and delight "Who are you and where have you been all my life?"

…...

"There's nothing there, it's useless." Risser tosses the pages aside frustrated. They played you my darling, those crafty kids played you like the broken fiddle you are." Caden crosses her arms and pouts at him. "You're not even grateful, it takes a lot out of me to go back and fourth like that you know they're in freaking Morrocco! Plus we don't have to see it..." She says picking up the papers from the floor. Most of it crumbling now, she places it all in a pile on the table. "We can have one of the sensitives touch it, they'll know what it says, or used to say..."  
>"Do you know where they are?" He asks still angry but calming now.<br>"Just where I left them, buried in their graves."


	5. Homecoming

Homecoming

Nathan struggles with his chains, a futile effort against the enchantments. He is stronger than human but steps were taken to make sure he could never escape. On top of the enchanted chains there were unbreakable locks, disorientation spells and nasty curses in every corner. He bows his head in defeat. A being created for a single purpose and now came the realization that it would never be fulfilled. His life a waste. He himself used as an instrument used to usher in the End of Days, and then... cherries.

He had smelled them before, somehow he didn't believe it was Risser who wore this perfume and his teenage witch smelled of perspiration deodorant. The girl was careful, easing her way from shadow to shadow. She stood now looking at Nathan from just beyond the cell door. No older than 20, her hair auburn hair falling down in front of her shoulders covering her chest.

She stood at an angle in the dark making it hard for him to see her. He was too weak to call out, though he probably wouldn't have anyway. The girl put her hands on the lock in the door and closed her eyes whispering something he couldn't quite make out. The lock clicked opened, she took it out and came inside. "You're not here to hurt me..." He says weakly, head hanging low.

"No, well, it might hurt a bit actually." She gently places her hand on his bloody chest. Immediately the cuts begin to close up, skin crusting over and healing. His unravelled intestines tighten and his bumps and bruises level down to normal size and yes, it does hurt a bit. She holds the chains by which he hangs and speaks in Latin, "...patefacio." Nathan suddenly drops into her arms as the chains shackles bust open. Magic.

"Get your breath, take a second, but we have to move fast, they'll be coming back soon."

Nathan breathes deep, he takes a second as his body adjusts to its new condition. They get up together. "Who're-"

"We have to get out of here." The girl wraps his arm around her petite figure. Nathan tries to walk alone but can't stay up. "You're still low on blood, don't worry you'll be fine in an hour or so but for now just hang on to me."

"What if we run into those Zealots?"

"Your powers won't work in here, this whole basement is enchanted, I'll take care of it."

Quietly they the ease into the dark hallway. Nathan fights to stay awake, the girl lowers him to the floor when she sees a pair of black robed guards at the end of the corridor. She walks toward them quiet as a mouse, their back to her they have no sense of what's upon them. She lifts her hands behind them. "Somnus." She says and the one on the right falls flat on his face into a deep sleep. The other guard turns around unaffected by the spell. He finds immediate recognition in her. "I knew you weren't faithful, heathen!" He pulls a long sharp knife from his robe, she takes a few steps back finding enough room to put between them for a second attempt at the spell but to no avail.

"You have magic, I have charms." He holds out his necklace, a silver ring with four lines intertwined inside hangs from the leather strap, she's seen this symbol before, it's the signature from a powerful warlock, wearing it block all spells. He swings his knife, she instinctively doges to the right-

He shoves his left arm out hitting her in the chest. She falls in front of Nathan who stands up weakly. "Get back to your cage dog." The man spits. Nathan moves toward him, the man swings the knife again, Nathan steps to the side and grabs his arm, not as weak as he seems. He brings a hand down on the man's elbow forcing the knife to face the man's neck. Nathan stands behind him, struggling with the zealot until he has the idea to force them both to ram the wall ahead, when he does the knife penetrates the man's neck, he is dead in seconds. Nathan goes back and picks the girl up from the floor.

"You didn't have to do that." She says.

"Do what?"

"Kill him."

They continue through the maze of hallways and doors, until they find a light on the ceiling with a metal ladder leading up to it. "I don't understand, this look like a sewer grate, they had me in a dungeon or something like it, not a sewer." Nathan says curiously.

"This isn't there, we've moved in space and time since then, it's like a maze, but every hallway is in a different space dimension..." She steps on the ladder and climbs up. Nathan follows reaching the top to find himself only a few feet from the Eiffel Tower.

"We're not in Japan?" He says.

"Not anymore." She replies. They both step onto the street, people walk by staring and ignoring alike.

"Why did you save me?" He asks, genuinely curious as they start speed walking through the masses.

"It's complicated." She's fast and precise, he struggles to follow close behind.

"Is there a simple way of saying it?"

"..I wanted to leave, I needed protection. You're protection."

"Fair enough, you're a witch right? Can you teleport us somewhere?"

"It doesn't work that way."

They move into the crowd of tourists and locals couples and families, trying to blend in as best as possible. Nathan leans in "I don't understand, you were there, with them, I've sensed you there from the beginning, why were you with them? Why did you help me?"

"Why don't we start with names? I'm Lilly." She says smiling.

"Okay, well I'm Nathan. And I think Lilly is a very pretty name."

"Well it's short for Lilura so not really." She says, he laughs, "Do you know where she is, the Slayer?" She asks.

"Yeah, I'm connected with her, she doesn't kno about it though, I thought it's be safer that way."

"Safer? Why?"

"Because if I ever got caught she wouldn't be able to try an help me."

"So I guess you were right."

"I should have terminated the connection all together, it's how they found her."

"You kept it to keep her safe. To watch over her."

"Yeah."

"So you knwo where she is because what you see what she sees?"

"Sometimes, but mostly it's a feeling, like the feeling you get when you think of home, you always know where it is in relevance to where you are, no matter where she is in the world, I know where she is, she's my home." 

…...

The little witch sits on a tombstone smacking her lips after applying ruby red lipstick. Risser comes behind her with a duffel bag full of supplies, he plops it all down next to her. "I'm not your servant, you could help a little you know." He says stretching.  
>"Hey I'm the one going to be doing all the hard work here. Yahafta put your own hours in too, if that means carrying my stuff, you carry my stuff." She says jumping off, she gives him a quick red kiss on the cheek and opens the bag. He wipes it off pretending to be angry. Caden takes from the bag a black candle with a pentagram in the middle, bones and twine dolls. A skull beaten and crushed, and the feet of several animals. "D'you have any gum?" She asks him.<p>

"No, just hurry please."

"Fine... grumpy..." She kneels down at the grave and places both hands on the dirt. For a moment it is quiet. Caden closes her eyes. The earth beneath moans and groans in protest. The worms in the dirt dig away. Beetles find themselves flying off in all directions. "Find your way back, find your way home... " She says, beginning the incantation to raise the dead.


	6. Helpess

Helpless

The air is dry and warm, the stars shine brighter than she'd ever noticed before, Jane wonders if she's ever seen things they way they really are before tonight. She takes a drag from the cigarette she forgot was burning to ash in her hand. It tastes good, the smoke fills her lungs, she doesn't need worry about cancer, '_That's a plus'_she thinks. She stares up into the clear Moroccan night, the stars are very bright indeed.  
>No one knows what to say, no one believes it. Not really. Olson opens the door to the outside veranda. He tries to be quiet but manages to make a fair amount of noise. "I was really useless in there earlier..."<br>"That wasn't your fault, Caden is a very powerful witch."  
>"It seems I've only gotten in your way since I've been here, funny, all my life I've wanted to be a Watcher, helping to protect his Slayer. Now I get here and, I'm only in the way."<br>"I'm glad you're here." She says putting out her cigarette.  
>"Why?"<br>"Because you've studied these things. You want to feel useful? Okay, tell me, how accurate are these prophecies?" She turns to face him. He doesn't say anything. "Please."  
>"Everything written in the Pergamum Codex has come to pass. Though there were a few misinterpretations."<br>"How do you mean?"  
>"Well, a few years ago it was prophesied that the Slayer before you would die fighting the Master. It's true she died, but only for a minute, one of her friends revived her so the prophecy was accurate but it all worked out for her."<br>"Until recently... But it doesn't matter anyway, what Anne said, I couldn't just die and come back, I would really have to die, like, for real."  
>"Yeah but she's a clairvoyant, what she says is subject to interpretation. We couldn't read the actual pages from the Codex, it's possible what she said was just one of a hundred outcomes."<br>"Whoever wrote it was a clairvoyant too, weren't they?"  
>"It was translated from a Demon language, It's hard to say exotically, but like I said, we didn't get to read it, Anne could still be wrong."<br>"I hope so, I really don't want to die."

…...

"The Slayer will die?" Risser asks the rotting man. The smell of death is overwhelming, Caden stays a few feet back with her fingers clasping her nostrils shut.  
>"YEssss..." the man says, having trouble forming words through a ripped and broken tongue. He grips the crumbling pages in his hand. "She must choose to die and stop him from raising his armies, or she will live and go with him into darkness."<br>"Wait, you said she _will _die, now you're saying she might not _choose_to die?" Risser crosses his arms in frustration.  
>"The choice will be hers, hers alone."<br>"And if she dies?"  
>"Then <em>he<em>will die as well. It is foretold."  
>"Yeah yeah so you're telling me that in order for us to win this fight, the Slayer has to survive it?"<br>"Not just survive, she must join you in your efforts."  
>Risser ponders this problem for a minute. He turns to Caden who is walking further away from the rotting corpse. "You didn't kill Nathan did you?" Risser asks.<br>"Not entirely."  
>"Good, we're going to need him, if she has to join us then he's the only reason she would."<br>Just then, one of the black robed zealots comes bursting into the cemetery waving is arms in the air. "Master!"  
>"Now what..." Risser sighs.<br>"Master! He's escaped, the locks were opened with magic, Lilura is gone as well."  
>Risser stands still for a moment, but the moment doesn't last. He grabs the Zealot's head and twists it breaking his neck- before the body falls to the ground he turns and punches through the dead psychic's face. His head explodes in a could of smoke and dust.<p>

…...

Jane sleeps in the far corner of the room, exhausted enough so even with the prospect of dying hanging over her head she's able to lose consciousness within minutes. Outside, Olson sits staring at the moon trying to find a way to help his Slayer, coming up empty every time. Crash, Belle and Anne sit around the tiny coffee table in the kitchen.

"We have to do something, we have to help." Crash says shaking his leg a mile a minute.  
>"What can we do? ...Anne, isn't there any way we can work around this?" Belle asks.<br>"I'm sorry..." Anne says genuinely.  
>"It's okay." Belle reassure her.<br>"No it's not!" Crash yells getting up. "We don't even know you, who are you? Where'd you come from?" He says advancing on her. Belle grabs his arm. "Leave her alone, she's not one of them."  
>Anne squirms in fear of him. Crash takes a breath, he calms down for a minute and kneels down beside her. "Okay, I'm sorry, but is there anyway you could be wrong? Does she really have to die?"<br>Anne lifts her head, her eyes meet his. "She'll have a choice, if she dies, they both die. If she chooses to live, the boy, the man, the beast will walk with an army of men women and children seduced by his charms. He will bring the world into darkness. I've seen it, Jane has to die. I'm sorry."  
>"Who is he? Is it Cat eyes?" Belle asks.<br>"No, I don't know who he is, but he's very powerful, much more powerful than him"  
>Suddenly Jane jumps up out of bed, her heart beating rapid fire. Olson runs inside. "What happened?" Jane sits up getting her breath. "The thing they don't tell you about being a Slayer, the nightmares."<br>"What did you dream of?" Olson asks.  
>"Killing things." She says.<br>The others watch intensely on from the kitchen. "You guys okay over there?" Jane says lightheartedly.  
>"Sure, just making hot coco, want some?" Crash gets up and grabs a cup from the cupboard.<br>"No thanks." Jane replies.  
>Crash pretends he was making hot coco all along, he gets glasses for Belle and Anne.<br>"What the hell are you doing?" Belle asks.  
>"I'm making hot coco! I don't want her to think we were just sitting here talking about her dying... want marshmallows on yours?"<br>"You're an idiot." Belle says rolling her eyes as she is known to do.  
>"I'll take marshmallows." Anne says smiling. He smiles back and says, "Dark times call for sweet chocolaty goodness."<br>"Alright fine I'll have one." Belle gives in.  
>"You had your chance..." He says, she looks at him like the ex-girlfriend she is. "Alright fine, but yours is last."<p>

…...

"How far are we?" Nathan asks restlessly. Lilly opens the window and leans her head outside putting her hair up in a ponytail. The train chugs on through the dark fields of south west France. "Still a ways but we're about halfway there, Almost in Spain"  
>"I hate this feeling, sitting here when I should be there, completely helpless, what if she's in danger." Nathan paces back and forth in the little compartment.<br>"She's the Slayer, she can take care of herself for now. As for you, how're you feeling? Your blood pressure might still be a little low."  
>"Me? No I feel good, full of useless energy..." He says sarcastically. She doesn't respond. He suddenly feels small and petty. "...Thanks you for what you did, and I'm sorry I killed him, I'm sorry you had to see that."<br>"No, I shouldn't have said anything, it's just, I've seen so much death in my life, I'm sick of it."  
>"...You saved my life, I don't even know how to say what I'm supposed to say."<br>"It's the least I could do after..." She goes quiet.  
>"...After what?"<br>"After what my sister did to you." Lilly closes the window and sits, she looks away from his gaze, a terrible shame gripping her throat.  
>"Your sister's the witch?"<br>"Yes..."  
>Nathan sits, memories from times long past suddenly rushing back to him. "I know who you are now..." He says bewildered that it took so long. She lifts her head, her eyes feeling heavy with the weight of the guilt she carries. "Your mother-" He starts, but she interrupts.<br>"You killed her, I was twelve, Caden was six."  
>"That was your mother... I'm sorry, she-"<br>"I know. She attacked you, she wanted to steal the girl from you, the Slayer, though I guess she wasn't that yet, only thirteen... I don't care that you killed her, she was pure evil, I just wish... I wish you had taken us with you."  
>"But Risser was there, I couldn't beat him, I tried-"<br>"I know, I just wish things had been different, for me and for her."  
>Suddenly the train stops with a violent jerk. Nathan and Lilly are tossed to the ground, her head banging into the metal door. A few quiet moments go by, Nathan collects himself and helps Lilly who lost consciousness for a few seconds. "Are you okay?" he asks.<br>"I'm alright..." She says rubbing the back of her head. "What happened?"  
>Nathan moves to the window and opens it. Outside there is only quiet. Nothing. Turning back to Lilly he finds Caden standing in their tiny compartment, the smell of death still sticking to her dress.<p> 


	7. Villains

Villains

Caden raises a hand to Nathan, no doubt looking to instill in him a paralyzing hurt but there is no pain. Some resistance remains in the air between him and her, like two magnets facing the wrong way. It makes it hard for Nathan to reach the girl but not impossible, he cuts through the thickness in the air and grips her by the throat, the charm he stole from the dead guard hanging around his neck. Caden's eyes grow big with fear and shock.

"No!" Lilly yells, and with the colossal strength imbued in her through the magic of the earth she pushes the powerful Nathan through the window and out of the train. He flies out into the field landing hard on his back. Lilly turns to her sister who now falls on her knees gasping for air. "I'm gonna kill him!"  
>"Stop! Cadie wait-"<br>"Why are you helping him? I'm gonna tear his guts out through his chest and keep him alive while I do it!"

Nathan stands in the field, Caden rises as well, she stands looking out at him through the shattered glass. Lilly places herself in between them. "Don't cadie, just go, tell him you didn't find us here, please."

"He's the enemy! When did you get so gutless Lil? Did you see what he just did to me? He almost snapped my neck!"  
>"Yes I saw- I'm sorry-"<br>"This thing killed our mother!"

The windows begin to fill up with the faces of scared passengers. Nathan remains unsure what to do.

"...I was six years old but I felt it. I was in my room when she died in the street somewhere, I felt it... like my head was exploding, I was connected to her, when she died, that connection died, a part of me with her. The human part I think." Caden's anger and confusion start to mix and boil inside her until it leaks out as tears she doesn't seem to know are there.  
>"Please Cadie, I just want it to stop, I don't want any more death, I just want you and me to go<br>somewhere together and leave all this hurt and pain and misery behind us."  
>"And what about Ris? He's our brother."<br>"No he isn't, he's evil, he's not human, he never was."  
>"Mom made him same as us. He's holy in the eyes of our lord." Caden says with a new determination. The tears stop flowing. Lilly tries to hold her sister back, she falls on her knees, crying, begging.<br>"No Caide please! Mom was wrong this isn't our destiny, it doesn't have to be, we can be good!"  
>Caden pushes past her sister and stands at the edge of the train, deadly shards of glass still sticking from the wall. Nathan remains hesitant on the field. The entire train full of passengers watch him now. Still as statues, they stare at each other.<br>"Please, don't." Lilura begs one last time.  
>"Don't worry big sis, I'll make worms meat out of him. Sleep for now." Caden holds her hand out toward Lilly, a flick of the wrist and she is pushed by an invisible force clean across the compartment and made to fall into a deep sleep.<p>

The girl jumps off the train, she walks around in a half circle looking at every little detail of Nathan's figure, remembering the words her mother whispered when giving lessons on how to defend herself against wild animals in the woods. '_Always be a waiting snake, patient, precise, and exacting.' _And that's what she was today, a snake, cunning and hurt, and a little bit insane.

Caden lifts both hands up at her sides, beneath Nathan, roots begin to stir. They lift off the dirt and begin to wrap around his legs wrists and neck. He tries to fight them off, she takes opportunity to run at him in an attempt to take the charm off his neck.

Falling to his knees, he overpowers the relentless bonds ripping them to pieces and lifts his hand to her as she is about to grab it the necklace. With a powerful push he sends her flying backward. She lands on her back- chest and face burning with a sharp and sudden pain. Nathan rips what's left of the the roots from him and stands. "My fight is not with you!" He yells. She smiles at this- her usually pearly white teeth a strawberry red. She spits the blood to the ground. Caden stands with a look in her eye no human posses. She walks to him, the train behind Nathan starts to shake, everything shakes. The people inside scream and scatter as the windows explode in every compartment. He lifts his hand to keep her back but she waves off the blow.

She pulls him down to his knees with a simple gesture. "A powerful charm- not as powerful as me." She walks to Nathan who doesn't seem to be able to move. She takes the necklace and rips it off him. She throws it down with disgust and wraps her hand around his neck, she digs her nails in. "My brother wants you alive. Maybe I'll tell him you killed yourself, he might believe that. Didn't want to get caught again, too much honor and whatnot..." She tightens her grip and is about to pull his throat out- "Caden, don't, I don't want to hurt you." He says. She laughs. Before she finishes him he quickly manipulates a piece of glass from the broken window into his hand and shoves it hard into her heart. With his powers he lays a hand on her chest and pushes the glass out through her back.

She stumbles back. Blood pouring out. Nathan grips his bloody neck. He coughs apologies. "I never wanted this..."

Caden turns to look at the train where her sister still sleeps. "I'm hurt." She says to to Lilly in a whimper, but there is no one there to hear. She collapses. Nathan walks to the girl who now looks like no more than a sleeping child. He waves a hand over her body. The roots which suffocated him only moments earlier now begin to wrap themselves around her body and then she is gone. A part of the earth.

He climbs back into the train. Lilly lays limp, dried tears on closed eyes. He picks her up in his arms bringing her across the halls of the train to the front, he finds a couple of passengers still here, sitting frightened in their seats. "The train is out of service." He says and they run out. He brings the unconscious Lilly to the conductor's station and lays her down on the bench. He lays his hand on the throttle and pushes it full speed. The broken train speeds south west, toward Morocco.

…...

December, 1993

The woman brushes her hair in front of the antique vanity mirror. She hums an ancient water-song known only to those lucky enough to have heard it from the sprites themselves. The little girl watches in awe of her mother.

Mom catches a glimpse of child in the mirror and smiles. She puts the hairbrush down and closes her eyes. The little girl wonders but doesn't ask. Mother rests her hands on her knees, eyes still closed. Suddenly three thin strips of mother's hair begin to lift and entangle within one another, braiding itself. The little girl giggles, mom laughs and grabs her. "I'm going to teach you every thing about magic, the world will be ours to shape as we see fit."

A knock at the door

"Come in." Mother says. Risser sneaks his head in respectfully. "What is it?" She asks. "They're moving in an hour, this will be our best chance for a while." He says. The woman gently puts the child on the bed again. "Then let's not miss it, time for me to go honey, but when I come back, you're going to have a new friend to play with!"  
>The girl smiles, confused but excited. "Your brother's going to watch you tonight, Eli!" She calls out. A handsome nineteen year old boy comes into the room he smiles big when he sees the little girl waiting for him arms in the air. Before he can reach her she jumps on the bed and runs off, the boy catches her. "Getting big, almost too big to catch!" He says putting her down. "Aw..." the girl pouts. Mother leans close to him. "Watch your sisters, I'm going out, it's finally happening baby." She puts a hand on his cheek, Eli nods happily. "When we come back, she'll be here, all these years waiting will be done, you'll finally get to meet your real sister."<br>"I'm his sister!" little Caden yells. Lilit bends down to her daughter, "Yes you are baby, but Eli has another sister, they share the same blood, you'll meet her tonight and we'll be a family, together we will start a whole new world, the one promised to us a long long time ago." Risser opens the door, Lilit walks through blowing Caden a kiss goodbye, as they pass the living room, Lilit sees her eldest daughter sitting by a window reading by moonlight. "Honey it's so dark..." A lamp suddenly turns on next to the girl. "Your brother and I are going out-"  
>"He's not my brother." She says not looking up from the book. Lilit looks to Risser with apologetic eyes. "It's fine..." He says, "She's almost a teenager I get it, plus she's right, we're not related."<br>"You are, I made you with my blood, my blood is her blood." She looks at her daughter again, "Listen to Eli, he's in charge until I come back."  
>"He's not my brother either." She mumbles.<br>Lilit moves toward her like a lionness, she grabs her by the hair and pulls hard. "Lilura you will show some respect, Risser is a powerful being, he's one of us, and Eli, he's more than you'll ever understand."  
>"You're hurting me." Lilly says through grinding teeth.<br>"You don't know hurt." Mother says and lets go. "This is a very important day in our lives. Be good until I get back." Lillit and Risser leave, Lilly watches them through the window. Before they reach the car Lilit stops, she holds her hands out. Summoning. A cat suddenly appears in the brush beside her. Lilit holds the cat by the back of his neck, she takes her dagger and jams it beneath the cat's chin. She takes the dead thing up to her mouth and drinks the blood. Though she knows her mother is not a vampire and doesn't _need_blood, she remembers the words Lilit often recites when one of them have gotten a cut or scrape and begin to bleed. "_Blood is life, blood is pure, blood is power, and power is everything." _ Lilit tosses the dead cat aside. Lilly thinks of Caden, easily impressed by magic, eager to be like her mother, she fears the day when her sister's innocence gives way to something dark. She begins to cry.  
>"Lilly look!" Little Caden yells. Lilly turns her attention back into the house where Eli is making a dead Lilly flower flourish again in his hand. Caden claps with joy. Eli gives Lilly a half smile.<br>"How do you do that? You're not even using a spell..." She asks as she wipes a tear from her cheek.  
>"I don't know," He begins, "it just happens." He walks to her and gives her the flower. She takes it smiling. "Did you hear what I said..." She looks down in shame.<br>"Yeah, it's okay."  
>"No.." She says determined. "You are..." She looks up at him as she puts the flower behind her ear. "You are my brother."<br>He smiles at her delighted and somewhere behind them little Caden makes the kind of ruckus only children know how. 


	8. Bring On The Night

Bring on The Night

"I was here with my friend..." Anne starts, "We just graduated college, Math majors, we went backpacking through Spain, she wanted to go to Paris next but I insisted on Morocco. I felt like I was supposed to be here. We were having lunch at a cafe and this man passed us. He was wearing a robe, he didn't seem friendly, now that I think about it I hate myself for approaching him, what an idiot I was."

Belle scoops the sugar from the table and pours spoon after spoon into her drink. "Why _did_ you approach him?" She asks while stirring.

"I'm not sure, it was like I had to. I saw him and it was like... _This_, this is why you're here. I was always told to ignore my gift, I'd see things, feel things, my mother just said to shut it out. But now I was free, out on my own for the first time. A college graduate. So I went to him but when I touched him I saw all the things he wanted, all the things he believed in. The world they want to create and everything that has to happen for it to come true, I threw up right there on the street. He knew what I was just as soon as he looked at me, he took me. They kept me, asked me questions, I saw you, all of you, through them, through the things they'd taken from you, they made me touch the objects and tell what I saw."

"I knew someone stole my socks!" Crash bursts out excited.

"No one stole your socks you idiot." Belle sighs.

"Actually they did have socks, men's socks. Smelly socks."

"Aha!.." He yells pointing to Belle, "Oh and sorry." He says quietly Anne laughs.

Belle touches Anne's eye, a bruise, barely visible but still there. "They hurt you." She says. Anne loses her smile. Crash jumps in. "It's okay we don't need to talk about it anymore. We're just glad you found your way to us."

"Me too." Anne says meekly.

"Now if we could only figure out where to go from here." Crash ponders.

"I need your bag." Jane stands demanding over Belle as she sits sipping her hot coco. "Sorry?" Belle says startled.

"Weapons." Jane says. Belle stands and gets the backpack from the corner of the room. She unlocks the small padlock she installed.

"What are you doing?" Crash asks. Jane opens the bag, she takes out a knife, a small axe and a cross bow which she straps around her shoulder. "I'm getting Nathan back."  
>"Whoa hold on-" Crash jumps up standing in her way. "You're just going to go? They have the numbers not to mention the power, you'll just be handing yourself over-"<p>

"He'd do it for me." She walks past him.

"Yeah because his mission in life is to keep you safe, what do you think he'd say about you going out there like this? And now that we know what the prophecy says, you're just going to-

"Well it's inevitable isn't it! So why let him suffer in the meantime?"

"But we don't even know where he is..."

Anne stands gripping her mug, she uncomfortably slips away from the crowd. "We'll go back to Or's Hotel, she'll know how to find him, or a way to start..." Jane looks at Anne. "What about you?"

"Me?"  
>"Yeah, can't you touch something of his, get a vision?"<br>"I don't know, maybe."  
>"Here." Jane says laying the heavy axe down on the table with a thud.<br>"Oh, okay..." Anne puts her drink down and sits in front of it. She wraps her hand around the handle and closes her eyes. With a jump she lets go. "What's wrong is he okay?"  
>"Yeah- No I mean I don't know, all I saw was the things he's killed with it, he's not human, I can't get a read on him, I'm sorry."<br>Jane picks up the axe. "It's okay don't worry about it. Everyone stay here, I'm going alone." She leaves the room. Belle and crash look at each other, they follow Jane out. Olson steps back in from the veranda. He looks at Anne from across the empty room. "We're going somewhere then?"  
>The sun is rising over the desert when Jane walks out of the hotel and onto the street. The locals are opening their shops and setting up kiosks when she walks by holding the axe. Arabic chatter fills the streets.<br>"There's got to be another way!" Crash yells.  
>"There's not." Jane says calmly, still walking, not looking back. Crash runs to her and grabs her by the shoulder strap. It snaps, the crossbow falls to the ground. "Do you <em>want<em> to die!" He barks.

"No! I don't! I wanna live! I wanna be old and married and fat! I want to get mad at the government about having to pay my taxes, I wanna see what movies will be like in ten years- But I'm the Slayer, short as my time is as one I still have to do as a Slayer does, I have to die... So that you and everyone else on this planet can live... Why should I sit around trying to figure out what to do, trying to find the right way to attack when I know the ending to this story? They don't have to seek me out, I'll find them and I'll kill as many as I have to so my friends may live."

They stand in the street, young and uncertain, old friends. Crash raises his hands to the sky "I can't just let you go to your death, you're my best friend! What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't want anyone to die for me. But I'm going." Belle walks to Jane's side, "She's right, this is going to end soon either way, I'd rather go to them than wait to die in a comfortable hotel room."

Anne and Olson shuffle out of the hotel. They join the three friends in the street. Olson seems unsure of what's taking place. "Are we getting breakfast?"

"No we're gonna save the world, why you hungry?" Crash asks, Jane smiles.

"...Bit peckish..." He replies.

…...

The trains comes to a screeching halt. Lilly wakes at the sound of it. "Where are we?" She asks. "Madrid. We can get off here, there's a way to get to Morocco, the same type of magic from the dungeon, but it's a Hotel, there's and entrance here, I can feel it-"

"Where's Caden?" she asks, looking at the broken empty train.

"I- She fought me, I tried to stop her... I'm sorry."

"No!" Lilly screams and runs to the back of the train as if to get her sister but there's no one there. Nathan chases after her, he grabs her and holds her. They collapse together.

…...

Risser drives over train tracks and broken glass in the field, he gets out, a heaving mess. "No no no no!" he finds the spot where Caden's body was taken into the ground. He can feel her presence, he can smell her, the same smell he's known since she was a baby. He tares at the grass ripping chunks out, digging for his sister. There is nothing left. He screams.


	9. Choices

Choices

The elevator dings and the gang spills out into the hallway. The Hotel is full. Vampires, demons and humans are making this their home away from home. "What's with all the hubbub?" Crash asks as he passes a four eyed seven-foot tall Mosket demon.

"I don't know but it's usually not good, these guys don't like to stay near each other, much less in the same building." Jane knocks on Or's door, Morphy opens it. He steps aside, everyone enters, he shifts his eyes at Crash who flashes a nervous smile as he passes. Or's glowing blue eyes peeks out at them from behind a pantry, she seems frazzled. "You okay Or?" Crash asks.

"Well aside from all the running around- the whole subhuman community's in an uproar, I thought the life of a hotel manager was supposed to be fairly low key, now look at me!"

"What's going on with them?" Belle asks.

"You didn't hear? That man, the one who attacked you, he's lost someone, he's looking for you, all of you, he wants retribution. I thought that was why you were here?"

"We didn't kill anyone-" Belle starts, Jane interrupts, "We're here for Nathan, we need to find him, especially now that Cat eyes is-" She stops when Nathan steps out from behind the bedroom door.

"That's the other reason I thought you came..." Or says. Without speaking Jane runs into him, her arms wrapping hard tight around his shoulders. He's surprised by the force of it. "Ow, you really are a slayer!.. Ow Ow." She lets go apologizing. Belle walks up to him as if in a dream. "Are you okay?" She asks laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I'm okay." He says giving her a great big bear hug, she loses herself in it. Crash shakes his hand, "I'm glad you're okay man."

"Thanks." Nathan says smiling. Olson stands and nods to Nathan unsure of teh etiquette here. "Watcher?" Nathan asks.

"Yup." Olson says.

Nathan goes back to the door, Lilly stays in the bedroom not wanting to get in the way of the reunion. Jane pulls Anne to her, "Nathan this is Anne, she's a seer, she really helped us out when that Caden By-"

Nathan waves for her signaling for her to stop talkingt, he disappears behind the back bedroom door. They wait around waiting for him to reappear, they can hear him whispering to someone in the room. While waiting in silence Crash leans in and whispers to Belle, "You really have a thing for him don't you?" She shakes her head and rolls her eyes unconvincingly.

"I want you guys to meet someone..." Nathan says behind the door, he brings Lilly out from the bedroom. "This is Lilly, she's the one who helped me escape." Lilly, still in mourning manages half smile.

"Helped you? But how?" Belle asks, tasting sour jealousy on her lips.

"I'm a witch." She says, not bragging nor ashamed. Or steps beside her, her hand hovering over the girls shoulder, "A powerful one." she says.

Crash breaks the silence by giving Lilly a big hug. Nathan pulls Jane aside "She's Caden's sister..." he whispers quietly as the rest of the group meets and congratulates her. "Caden's dead, we fought..." Jane's surprise is obvious, she looks at Lilly suspiciously, "Are you sure she's... on our side?"

"I'm sure." He reassures her. "Did you find the prophecy?" Nathan asks.

"Yeah we found it."

"Did you read it? What did it say?"

"We just got the cliff-notes, but it was enough, it's not good."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you in a sec." She turns to Lilly who is trying to be polite by interacting with everyone, Jane gently puts her arms around her, "I'm sorry about your sister, thank you for helping him." Lilly gives her a _your welcome _nod. Jane notices her bloodshot eyes and pink puffy cheeks, she's been crying for a while. She wonders how the girl can manage to smile so soon after, when her boyfriend Jack died, Jane was almost catatonic. Everyone mourns in different ways she tells herself.

…...

The shot-glass explodes as the vampire's head is smashed on the bar counter. Liquor runs off the counter spilling to the floor. "You're not telling me what I want to hear..." Risser says pressing hard on the vamps head. "I don't know- I heard the train stopped in Madrid- there's an entrance here somewhere I don't know where I swear!"

Risser smashes his head again and drops him on the floor. He finds a demon sitting by himself in the back. "Do _you _know how to get into Or's Hotel?" He asks blinking his cat eyes. "I- I hear you have to be invited- there's no opening from the outside-"

"You think I don't KNOW that!"

Risser shoves the demons head into the brick wall in a sudden burst of rage. The door opens and all the air goes out of the room. The fear the vampires and demons felt in the presence of Risser doesn't measure up the the terror they feel now. Eli is at the threshold, now a man of twenty seven he stands tall and confident, though his demeanor shows defeat. The demons have nothing to fear, he has other things on his mind. "Risser, leave them alone."

"I'm trying to find a way to get-"

"I know what you're doing it's useless. There are no tricks, no exception to the rules, Nathan and the rest of them are in the Hotel, and you need to be let in, not only that, but it takes an immense amount of power to lift the veil. There's no breaking into that place, there's nothing these guys can tell you that will help in the least. So please, stop shoving heads into walls."

"You're just going to let them stay there? Comfortable in their hideout?" Risser says leaving the bar.

"No, Caden was my sister too." Eli says following him into the street.

"Then what, we're going to wait until they leave? Chase them around the globe for another twenty years?"

"No, we're going to go in there, we're going to go in there and we're going to rip our revenge out of them."

"But you said-"

"I said we need to be let in, and lucky us, we know someone on the inside."

…...

Lilly looks out the window holding her arms as if cold. The city beneath glistens yellow-blue beneath the sunset. Or moves in beside her. "That's too bad about the prophecy..." She says to Lilly, "I really like these kids."

"Yeah, Nathan's really upset, I guess it's just a bad day all around."

"I feel loss from you. Recent... Who was it?" She asks but Lilly doesn't answer. "I'm sorry, I'm blunt and rude sometimes, I don't get out much." Lilly smiles. "It's fine... What city is this?"

"St. Petersburg." Or says, "You have good memories here."

"I had my fourteenth Birthday here, I was with my brother Eli, we spent the whole day just walking the town, it was nice... How did you know? "

"The view here usually depends on who's viewing it."

On the couch Nathan sits fuming, the news of the prophecy lays waste any hope he had of ever achieving his life's purpose to protect Jane. He mourns her while she's still alive, here in front of him now. "We have a lot to do." Jane says. She walks to Lilly, Or excuses herself.

"Lilly, I have to ask you, about Cat eyes-"

"His name is Risser."

"What is he?"

The rest of the group starts to pay attention now. Lilly sits down. "My mother was a powerful witch as you know, she was a believer. Before I was born, my mom did this spell, she didn't tell me much about it. All I know is she summoned the essence of The First Evil, there was a man who sacrificed himself for the ritual, she was somehow able to instill in him a fraction of the spirit of The First. She calls him my brother, but she never called him her son, she always said he was The Son of The First.

As Anne listens to Lilly, she feels pinch her chest but she doesn't know what it is, what it means. She remains quiet. Olson stands up. "I think I may be able to help, I mean I'm not sure but I could try."

"How?" Jane asks

"We have research in the council, about The First. I think there has been precedent, someone did this before. There are journals, books..."

"Okay, Or, is there a way for him to get to London from here?"

"Of course darling, London is one of our top destinations." Or says and leads Olson out of the room.

Lilly's eyelids begin to drop too heavy to stay open, Jane gives her a hand and leads her up off the couch. "You need to sleep, go in the bedroom and take a nap, I'll wake you up when it's time to move." Lilly nods in agreement. She goes into the dark room and lays down.

Jane closes the bedroom door as Lilly lays down wrapping herself in the comforter. Anne excuses herself to go to the bathroom. Jane takes a moment when she realizes the only people in the room now are the ones she's known for years."The last time we were all together like this, everything was different... Course there's one of us not here now." Jane says moving to the window. The city of Madrid shinning beneath her. Crash laughs, "Yeah remember that time when Jack told you there was a gang of vampires in our basement but it was a surprise party for you and you almost staked me?... Yeah that's not a happy story."

Jane laughs. Belle looks at Jane excitedly "Oh! Remember when Nathan stole that car so that you wouldn't have to take the subway home one night, the police pulled him over and you guys had to beat them unconscious. That was funny, not haha funny but I thought it was, funny I mean. Never mind me."

…...

In the bedroom Lilly stirs as she drifts into sleep and dream. She suddenly finds herself in her childhood home, standing in the living room with the sun shinning through the big glass windows where she used to read her books as a teenager. She smiles at the situation knowing full well she is in a dream. A vase sits on the windowsill with a single dead Lilly inside. Suddenly the dead flower rises awake, brown turns to white and the Lilly is restored, alive. She walks to it and picks it up out of the vase. "You always knew how to make me feel better." She says. Eli stands beside her, "That's because I can't stand to see you sad." He says. She turns to him, outside, the sun gives way to clouds and rain drops pitter-patter on the glass. "I want to see you." She says.

"You are seeing me, I'm right here."

"This is a dream."

"Yes but it's also true."

"Everything here is old, this house, it's not ours anymore."

"Everything is just the way I made it."

"Is this happening, now?"

"Yes." He says and takes the flower from her and sticks it in her hair above her ear. "I always loved when you wore them my flowers like this." He says smiling. She returns the smile but it doesn't last. Outside, thunder rolls.

"Eli, our sister. Cadie..." A tear forms and drops. He holds her.

"I know."

As she rests her head on his shoulders she sees a shadow move in the hall. Tiny feet run up the stairs and a playful giggle echos in the halls. "Cadie? She's here?" Lilly asks.

"Well of course she's here, where else would she be?"

"I don't know... I was hoping she moved on..."

"There's nothing left but memories."

"What about her soul?"

"This is what all she is now, a shadow in your dreams. Your friends saw to that."

"No it wasn't like that." She says backing away.

"Okay, it's okay, I'm not blaming them, Cadie had her demons too. But our family's getting smaller, we have to take care of each other now."

"But, I don't know. I don't know what to do, what am I supposed to do?"

"Don't cry little sis, I just want to meet her, I'm not going to hurt anyone, I just need your help to get in there so I can talk to her."

"Who? The Slayer?"

"Yes, she is my sister by blood, and a part of our family. But she doesn't know that yet. Open the door, let me in, I'll show her we belong together, all of us."

Lilly wakes up. The room is much darker than she remembers. She fumbles for the light to locate herself. She stands and walks out into the living area. "Hey, did you sleep?" Jane asks.

"A bit." She says. "I'm going to take a walk downstairs, I have all this energy."

"Okay."

As she passes Anne, she looks away- Anne senses her grief and confusion, and a strong and sudden guilt over something, something hard to see, something new. Lilly leaves. Morphy is in the hall arguing with a patron about a leaky faucet. Lilly passes him and takes the elevator down. In the lobby she sees the mess of vampires and demons, all hiding from the fate her mother foretold. She doesn't care about the faith or the future, all she cares about now is her family. She closes her eyes as she reaches the doors. She raises both hands and whispers an incantation to open all locks. All of her power goes into lifting the curtain, it makes her weak. By the time anyone notices what she's doing it is too late, Eli is inside, and Risser right behind him.


	10. Consequences

Consequences

Lilly collapses, drained. She catches her breath on the floor. Eli kneels beside her and lifts her up. "Hey little sister." He says. A hooded guard stomps out into the lobby, eyes glowing green behind a dark mask. He stands in their way with one hand up, blocking their passage, and a katana in the other. Risser walks around Eli and Lilly to the guard, he uses the magic blocking their way as nourishment, getting close to the guard without trouble. He breathes deep, full of power. The guard swings the sword- Risser leans back, dodging the attack, the guard is fast and swings again and again- when he swings straight down Risser takes the opportunity to step on the blade when it nears the floor. He lands a single blow to his opponents heart. His hand breaks into his chest. He removes his hand, a beating demon heart lies inside. The guard falls. Risser picks up the sword. The crowd around them scatter, some running for their lives, others attacking, Risser swings the sword decapitating vampire after vampire, a cloud of dust at his feet.

…...

After a quick, much awaited for shower, Anne dresses herself and steps back into the room finding the gang sitting around laughing at old stories. Something strikes her. The pinch in her chest becomes a pit in her stomach. The air is thick. In her mind she sees Lilly, heart broken and confused, the air is electrified with panic. A chill washes over her.

"Oh God." She says aloud. The group looks to her. Before Jane can ask what's wrong Anne blurts it out. "They're here, she let them inside."

..…...

A hundred scary monsters run for their lives. Risser slashes and tears at anyone in his way. Lilly stumbles as her brother carries her. With a glance Eli pushes scores of demons off their feet. They enter the elevator.

…...

The Slayer and her friends stand at the ready in he hall. The elevator lights clock on one by one, closer and closer. "Anne, go inside, hide." Jane says. Anne runs, doing as she is told, her powers of seeing and feeling will not be much use here. Crash holds his sawed off shotgun- armed with silver beads which have been soaked and blessed with Holy Water. Belle ties a knife to the end of her staff with duck-tape. The elevator continues to climb, just one floor away now. "What do you guys want to do after?" Belle asks. "I haven't been to a movie in forever." Crash says.  
>"They're all in 3D now, I'm not paying extra for that." Jane says.<br>"The world is doomed." Nathan mutters.  
>The last bell dings and the doors open.<p>

There is a moment of silence and recognition as Nathan sees Lilly. He feels the sinking dread of betrayal, Lilly, in the elevator, slides down into the small back corner. "I don't want to fight." She says aloud mostly to herself. Eli steps out in front. "Wait," He says to the group in the hall. "I want to talk. Just talk. To you." He looks at Jane. Risser is done waiting, Nathan stands here in this hall while his baby sister rots in the ground. He is done waiting. Risser pushes past Eli- Crash opens fire, the shells hit Risser's face burning holes which will never heal but it's not enough to stop him, Belle scratches him with the blade attached to her staff but Risser is able to give her a straight kick to the chest- sending her down the hall with the intense pain of four cracked ribs.  
>Nathan falls into him, they knock each other into walls, both strong enough to bash them but not each other. Jane moves past the two brutes to Eli, "You're the one, the reason for all this."<br>"It doesn't have to be this way." he pleads.  
>"Who told you that?" She says landing a blow to his eye, without a second to breathe she kicks again and again- He fights back with mostly defensive tactics. Crash pumps the shotgun and aims at Eli- The gun flies out of Crash's hand and falls to the floor next to Eli. Jane uppercuts him. It has little effect. He looks into her eyes recognizing their resemblance immediately, he grabs her by the neck, not to hurt but keep her still. "I'm disappointed you don't see it."<br>"See what?" She says trying to fight him off.

"The family resemblance. She stops struggling. "Please, don't fight me little sister."

Or appears behind him, she puts a hand on his head "Discede!" She commands, and with a thunderous roar he is gone, teleported somewhere far from here. Jane drops to the ground grabbing her neck for air but the air doesn't come. She did see a resemblance.

Risser and Nathan break through the wall into a room. Risser takes Nathans head and slams it into the kitchen counter but he goes right through it. Nathans comes up with an uppercut knocking Risser into the ceiling, he comes crashing back.

In the hall, Crash runs to Belle on the floor. She coughs blood as he helps her up. "You need to get out of here..." He says but she pushes him off and runs to the hole in the wall. "We have to capture him," She tells Or, "I need him alive- he knows-" as Risser cocks his arm back to strike Nathan she takes it and holds tight but Risser pushes her back and kicks her in the gut, she flies through a wall and into the next room, smashing her head on a table, knocked out. Or gets close to Risser, she lifts her hands to form a barrier to imprison him but before she has a chance he takes her hands in his breaking all of her fingers in the process. She screams, and as she does he leans in and whispers, "Me omnia Posse." And a river of visible magic leaves her body and is absorbed into his. Belle can't come any closer, the heat of it is too intense and the light grows more and more intense until it is all there is. When the white finally fades and the room is clear again Or is gone, turn to ash. Risser is all that remains. His eyes glow yellow, within him a power grows beyond measure. Nathan lets fly with a left hook, all his might behind it but Risser stops it before it reaches him merely taking Nathan's hand and breaking it with no effort at all. Nathan goes down. Risser Laughs as he lifts his own hand with the intention on bringing it down on Nathan, crushing him into bits an pieces but before he has a chance, Belle jumps between them.

"You are powerless to stop me now." Risser barks at her.

"I know." She says looking up at him.

Jane gets up in the next room, her head still foggy. Looking at Belle, Risser takes a knife from his belt, Jane runs at him- she leaps- Risser brings the knife down. Jane and Risser come tumbling onto the kitchen floor. He gets up again ignoring Jane, moving to Nathan, and as he tries again to kill his sister's executioner Lilly tackles him, "No!" She yells. And as they fall, they disappear, transported by Lilly's magic somewhere outside the hotel.

"Oh God..." Crash's voice quivers. Jane stands up rubbing her hand. Anne steps into the room from the hall. Nathan sits up on his knees looking on helplessly as Crash tries to stop the bleeding. But it's too late, Belle is dead.


	11. The Dark Age

The Dark Age

Lilly and Risser tumble on the concrete in some broken down warehouse. Blood drips from her nose, the toll of such a dangerous spell to perform. Risser stands still dizzy from the trip. "What did you do! He killed your sister Lilura! He killed your mother!"

Unable to stand up, she yells from the floor. "Shut up! It wasn't him it was us! This is all our fault! Mother took Eli when he wasn't ours to take! We did this, all of this!"

Risser suddenly punches a pillar in the middle of the room, the force of it turns the concrete to dust. "Leave, never come back." He says.  
>She stands unsteady, wipes her bloody nose and leaves.<p>

…...

Jane, Crash, Nathan, and Anne stand across the street as Morphy and other creatures from Or's inner circle bring the Hotel crashing down. It collapses in on itself, like an implosion without explosives, without sound, just a hum and drum. Somewhere on the top floor. Belle's Body lays covered in a white sheet as the room comes down all around it.

The sanctuary falls, tainted, defiled, ruined.

"He said he was my brother... It's true isn't it?" Jane says in the silence.

"Yes." Nathan says.

"This is going to keep happening until he and I are the only ones left." Jane says through welling tears. "I need to end this."

"I don't think I can take any more of my friends dying." Crash says.  
>Jane takes his hand in hers.<br>"Olson," Anne says, "We have to find him, he said he can helps us. I think it's true, I feel it."  
>"Which way to London?" Jane asks. Morphy walks to them, pain clear in is eyes. "I can take you there." He says. He and Crash share a glace, united in pain. "You're going to kill them?" he asks.<br>"Yeah, we're going to kill them." Crash says.  
>"Okay, follow me."<p>

…...

In the Watcher's council library Olson Stepeck pours over books, ancient and new alike. Eagerly he reads the passage he's been searching for. From the Watcher's Chronicles, a Slayer two hundred and thirty one years ago, an agent of the first. It's all here, the way to victory. Olson closes the book, as he turns to leave, Travers stands behind him. "Still think this it was a joke?"  
>"I never said it was."<p>

"I saw it in your eyes before you left here last time, you had no faith in yourself and now look at you."

"I'm still the same man, all I have now is more information."  
>"On how to kill your enemy, and you go back without hesitation."<p>

"I have to go-"

"Things have changed over there Mr. Stepeck. Or is dead, the sanctuary is in ruins. The word is out, you are fighting an agent of the first with extraordinary power, and he is only

the second in command. Are you sure you want to go back?"

"Or is dead? What about the rest of them? How'd they get in?"

"They can do a lot, they can kill without a second thought. Are you _sure_ you want to go back?"

"Yes I'm sure!"

"And that's why I sent you there in the first place. You're not a joke Mr. Stepeck,

you're a Watcher."

Olson holds the book tight and walks past Travers, no time for compliments. "Take this." Travers says holding out a map to him. "There was a traitor in your midst, the Coven told us where she would be and when, go now, hurry, she won't be there much longer."

…...

Eli remembers being in the car, strapped upside down in the back by the seat-belt. Six years old, he stared at the front helpless as his mother bled to death. He remembers nuance details like the rain tapping on the metal. Thunder rolling outside. Risser and Lillit with the help of a few black robed men took him out and brought him with them. "My son..." His mother whispered as he cried and cried. But he knows now that it was foretold, everything that happened was for a reason and now it was up to him to make it happen. He would go to his sister the Slayer one last time to try and convince her that this was their purpose. Their destiny. Together they would bring the world into a New A  
>ge. If she refused, he would have to take drastic measures, he must keep her alive to fulfill the prophecy and he plans to, though it may not be the merciful thing to do.<p>

He thinks about this as he stands at the edge of the skyscraper where Or sent him with the teleportation spell. He watches the city beneath him twinkle and glisten. A good spot for a throne.

…...

Lilly sobs as she stands in front of the house which once was hers. Now broken and abandoned she finds no place more appropriate for the occasion. She lifts her hands to it as tears pour out- a fire bright and all consuming begins to grow in the house. Dilapidated dressers and rotting tables lay still as a thin fiery film lazily spreads and covers every inch of every clean space. Lilly's tears reflect the yellow fire and turn to steam as she walks into the house. She slips inside, quiet and calm. With no air in her lungs she falls to her knees and as the house begins to shake and fall apart. The sunny fire goes black as she loses consciousness.

Black.

Suddenly her eyes open and she coughs and spits, lungs full of soot. Soothing wet grass beneath her fingers. She opens her eyes to see the young watcher kneeling over her.

"You want to make up for what you did? I can help but don't kill yourself, it's useless"

…...

Traffic sits at a standstill. Headlights burn bright lighting Risser like a thousand spotlights. He stands in the middle of the street as the car horns blare. Risser extends a hand. The cars in front of him begin to shake, windows explode- Fires start. One by one the cars are engulfed in flame.  
>A massacre.<p>

Behind him black robed followers gather, their eyes cut out and sown shut, they are called Bringers. Risser watches the flames, he wills them down until smoke is all that remains. He walks his men through the traffic of the dead, so close to the New Age, why put up with the burden of traffic. The power in his veins coursing like electricity, death the only thing on his mind.


	12. Seeing Red

Seeing Red

"Where are we?" Crash asks in the dark. Morphy turns on the lights, they are in an industrial kitchen in the back of a restaurant. "London." Morphy says and opens the back door. "How'd you do that?" Crash looks around- shocked to find the new surroundings, one minute he was in a field in Spain and now a kitchen in London. "Magic is not just for witches."

They leave the restaurant finding themselves in the busy streets of night-time London. Morphy takes a Gatsby hat from his back pocket and puts it on, disguising himself as a very short man. "How do we find Olson?" Jane asks Morphy. The gnome looks up at her, "You're asking me? Isn't your seer good for anything?" Anne is struck by a sudden shame, her only contribution was a two minute warning in the Hotel, if she'd seen something sooner, Belle may still be alive.

"What about your magic? You can't locate Olson with it?" Nathan asks.  
>"I could but it would take time, the seer is faster." Morphy tells him.<p>

Anne steps back "Me? No I can't, my... gift, it's random I have no control over what I see or feel-"

"Of course you do, this is why no one takes humans seriously." Morphy says. "You have complete control, you've just never tried to harness it before."  
>"You can show me how?" Anne asks.<br>"I can and I will."

...

"Do you have everything you need?" Olson asks her. Lilly sits in the middle of Olson's living room in his apartment, herbs and candles burning all around her.  
>"Yeah I think so, it's been a while since I tried a locator spell but it's pretty basic."<br>"Hurry, if Risser gets to them-"  
>"No, he won't, I can do it, I'll find them but, it's just- what happens when I do?"<br>"I have a plan." He says.

She closes her eyes and starts the spell. The blank papyrus in front of her begins forming lines and names, streets and rivers, a map. She opens her eyes and reads it.

"They're here." she says startled.

"Here?" He asks, eager and confused.  
>"In the city."<p>

...

"Where exactly?" Jane asks Anne who feels the tugging and pulling in her chest like she's never felt it before. "South." Anne says and starts walking. "Let it come naturally," Morphy tells Anne, "your instincts are telling you what you want to know, just follow them." Nathan stops as he looks into a bar with a large flat-screen hanging over the counter. The TV is broadcasting the news. A hundred cars burning on a highway. "Risser." Nathan says.  
>"Are you sure?" Jane asks as she comes back to his side.<br>"It's him. He's coming."  
>"We have to move."<br>"No, he just wants me."  
>"No! You're not gonna leave us!"<br>"I have to-"  
>"He's too powerful!"<br>"I can slow him down enough for you to find your Watcher. There's no use arguing, I don't know what else I can do to help you anymore- between the prophecy- Risser- I don't know how to protect you... I can't protect you. So I'll do this. I'll slow him down. It's all I have to give you."

Jane shakes with regret. She knows there is no other way. At the bridge with Jack, before it all went to hell, all she wanted to do was get Nathan, tell him not to fight Risser, tell him they'd figure it out together. And now, here she was, letting him go, the one who raised her as a child, not absent like her real father. Nathan was the one who taught her everything she knows, cared for her in times of fever and melancholy. Now, in the street, amongst patrons and civilians, they embrace. Nathan says goodbye to his Slayer, his friend, his daughter.

…...

The police helicopter glides over the river Thames, a spotlight shines down on the crowd below as they disperse, running and screaming on all sides. On the ground, police cars blare their sirens as they turn onto the Westminster Bridge, tires screeching. They stop, blocking the entrance to London. Ahead of them on the North side of the bridge, Risser stands alone. The London Police Special Operations team aims their weapons at him, they scream and yell for him to stop, get on the ground, but he's not listening. With a gesture Risser pulls at the helicopter- inside it sounds alarms and flashes red lights. It comes crashing to the street below. The frightened police force opens fire, a deafening drum of pops sound unrelenting until every officer is out of ammunition. The smell of gunpowder is carried in the smoke. But the bullets never reached him, they linger in the air, harmless floating paper weights. They fall. The men and women in uniform can't understand what they're witnessing. Risser walks down the bridge toward London. The police car windows explode as he gets closer, the cruisers shake. Unable to do anymore, the police run for their lives. Suddenly the vehicles blocking his path rise up into the air- Risser stops- startled, this is not his doing. They crash hard on either side of the bridge into the river. Nathan stands alone in the street. "Just the man I wanted to see." Risser exhales the words through a thick vengeful tone. "Yeah, well-" Before Nathan can finish his clever retort Risser uses his power to send him flying up and crashing down a hundred feet away on top of a parked car. "That hurt... so much." 


	13. The Gift

The Gift

"What's _she_doing here?" Crash asks as they find Olson and Lilly in the Lobby of his apartment building. "She's here to help." Olson says.  
>"We don't trust her." Jane snarls.<br>"I know, but we need her, I need you to trust me on this." Olson steps in front of Lilly.  
>"If it weren't for her Belle would be here." Crash pumps his shotgun. Lilly walks out from behind Olson. "I didn't think anyone would get hurt, I didn't know Risser would be there. I'm sorry about your friend and I'm sorry you have to deal with me again but you do. I can help you, I'm the only one who can. You have to trust me or you're all going to die."<p>

Jane turns to Anne. "You said Olson would help us, is this what you meant? With her?"

Anne shuffles uncomfortably, she walks to Lilly and puts her hands on her face. She turns back to Jane. "Yeah, she wants to help."  
>"Good. Let's go."<p>

…...…...

Nathan, beaten and bloody spits at Rissers feet. "You can do better than that." He says. Risser picks him up by the throat. "I can do better, but this is more fun." He replies and throws Nathan into the concrete wall of a nearby building, the windows explode as he smashes into it. Risser suddenly feels a sting at his back. A police officer takes cover behind a car, terrified. The gun flies out of his hands, Risser walks to him and puts his hand over the man's face. The man screams as Risser sucks the life from him. Risser stretches his arms out feeling more empowered. The officer falls dead, his eyes white and empty.  
>Nathan stands. "Can't you leave them out of this- these humans don't have power like we do."<p>

"Exactly, they don't belong with here with us. We are the Titans, they should scatter and shake at the sight of us. You should be by my side, not against me."

Nathans wipes the blood from his lips. The taste of iron thick on his tongue. "Yeah well, maybe I should, I mean, who- or whatever created me sure didn't see it fit to make me as strong as you. Even before you sucked the power from Or you were stronger and faster than I could ever be. Yeah I admit it. Every time we face off I get my ass kicked. So yeah, what would you say if I told you screw it, I'll join your team? Seriously what would you say?" Nathan spits more blood onto the sidewalk and bends over catching his breath.  
>"Well," Risser starts, "...up until a few days ago I'd say we would have had some sort of initiation, random beheading in the street or mystical murder, something to show your loyalty, then probably a strawberry cake to celebrate. But that was before you killed my little sister."<br>"Ah well, live and learn." Nathan says as he rushes Risser, his hand hammering down, all his might behind it. Risser starts to dodge but Nathan is able to hit his shoulder. Risser hisses in pain and frustration- He lifts his leg and releases it into the middle of Nathan's chest. Nathan flies. He finds that he's landed inside a car facing the ceiling. His head scratched by the broken glass, blood drops into his eyes and for a moment he is completely blind. Risser grabs him and throws him to the street.

"Alright," Risser says looking at the broken Nathan, "We've had enough fun, it's time you go see my sister, I'm betting she's in hell waiting for you with a pitchfork and knife." He goes to Nathan picking him up by the shirt. He cocks his arms back but before he can land the final blow, a voice from behind him interrupts.

"Put him down." Jane steps into the street. Risser let's him drop to the floor. "You're not supposed to be here, I'm not really supposed to kill you, my brother wants you all pretty for the end."

"Don't worry you're not going to kill me."  
>"Oh little girl you have no idea what you're up against, the power in me right now... it's beyond anything you've ever seen."<br>"Trying compensate for something?"  
>"I'm really not supposed to kill you..." Risser contemplates.<br>Nathan looks up at Jane through bloody eyes. "What're you doing here? I told you-"  
>"You told me you'd stall him and you did, it's my turn now." She says throws a three punch combo at Risser, he blocks effortlessly.<br>He picks her up and brings her down on his knee. Jane coughs the blow away. Rissser punches her across the face. Nathan tackles him from behind. "Cheap." Risser says falling to the ground.

Around the corner and out of their view, Morphy, Anne and Crash kneel on the road, they are carefully putting goofer dust in a pattern.

"Come on you guys can do this I should be out there-" Crash starts but is interrupted.

"No! It has to be perfectly precise." Morphy says packing the dust in a neat pile and sliding it down into a perfect semi circle, "Also if you went out there he'd kill you, so stay." Lilly steps inside the circle and sits. "When they're here you'll have to be quick." She tells Olson who paces with the book of spells. He nods.

"Why does he have to do it?" Crash asks.

"It's a duel incantation spell, I'll say my words from within the circle, he says the others from outside of it." Lilly responds. Somewhere around the corner someone crashes through a window. "We have to hurry they won't last long."

Anne finishes the last bit of the dust and stands, "I've ever heard of a spell needing a duel incantation and a perfectly precise design like this." She says worried.

"That's because no one's really supposed to do this spell. Go get them, I'm ready."

Crash peaks out from behind the building, Jane lies on the street, crawling her way to the sidewalk. Crash runs and grabs her, he pulls her around the corner- Risser who fights Nathan sees this and takes off toward them. "No you don't!"

Crash places the wrecked Jane into the circle with Lilly who lays her hand on Jane's heart. Jane lies bleeding from all sides, her pulse beats slow, almost not at all. Risser rounds the corner- seeing the group and Lilly at the circle he stops dead in his tracks. "What is this?"

"Your stop." Crash says behind him and kicks Risser into the circle, off balance, Risser falls toward Lilly, he stops himself with one hand inside the circle. "You-" He starts, but before he can say any more she puts her hand on his chest and speaks an ancient incantation as Olson does the same. Risser feels it, he is unable to move, to breathe as Lilly sucks the power from his core and transfers it into Jane's. Risser screams as his eyes burn and bones break, as everything he is, is given to someone else and he is made a gift. Jane convulses. Risser drops, hollowed, empty, dead.

Jane opens her eyes. Glowing blue. She stands, more than a Slayer. Powerful beyond measure. She walks to the bridge where her brother waits for her.


	14. The Weight of The World

The Weight of The World

A single flake of snow makes its way from the sky, the wind carries it this way and that, not a care in the world. Clouds gather, the tension in the air is broken and a million other flakes follow covering the city in pure white dust. In a torn street in the City of Westminster, six unsung heroes walk, the weight of the world on their shoulders. Jane looks to the bridge as the figure of a man appears behind the curtain of snow. Eli stands patient. He waits for her.

"You can beat him." Nathan tells her through six cracked teeth and a broken jaw. She smiles. "The prophecy says I can't. Says I won't."

"We can help you." He says unconvincingly.  
>"You did, all of you, thank you." Jane takes one last look at the beaten group. She turns back to the bridge. She walks.<br>"Wait, what're we doing? Stop! We can figure something out!" Crash spits out. But she doesn't stop, she doesn't turn, she only keeps walking. Nathan catches him as he tries to run after her.  
>"What're you doing! She's your responsibility she's the only reason you exist!"<p>

Nathan holds him down. "No, I was made to get her here, Now. This is what's supposed to happen."

"How can you say that! We can stop this!" Crash begs, more to himself than anyone else. Morphy steps away, when Anne turns he sees he is gone. Crash turns to Anne, tears streaming down. "What's going to happen? Can we do anything? Can we help her?"  
>"I don't know," Anne says, "I'm sorry."<br>They look on, helpless. Jane walks farther and father and before they know it, she is gone.

…...

February, 1981

The boy puts his hand on his mother's pregnant Belly. The woman smiles with delight at the sight of her son's reaction. "What is it?" The boy asks.  
>"It's a little sister." The woman says. You're going to be a big brother soon."<br>"I am? What do I have to do?"  
>"Well..." She starts, she looks out the window, at the sky, at the stars. "When it's time, when you're a little older, you're going to have to take care of her. Make sure she's safe. Make sure nothing bad happens to her."<p>

"Because that's what big brothers do?" The boy asks his mother.

"Yes, that is what they do."

The boy leans his head down on his mother's stomach. He whispers to the baby inside. "I'm your brother, Eli, I'm gonna take care of you, keep you safe. So don't worry okay?"

The woman tears up a little and thinks of how this is the only perfect moment she can remember having in years. Finally she can rest. Though she knows soon enough there will be more running. She lays one hand on her Belly, the other on the boy's head. Son and daughter, a family of three. Outside a mysterious man, powerful and valiant stands looking out, keeping a watchful eye over the family.

…...

Jane steps on the bridge. Beneath her feet the dusty snow swirls and sways in the wind. "Hello brother." She says to Eli who sits at the edge of the bridge with his head back, mouth open.

"When I was little I used to do this," he says, "Every single time it snowed. I used to open my mouth and catch the flakes hoping you were somewhere not too far, doing the same thing."

"I didn't have too many kid moments."

"I know you hate me, but I can't hate you, you're my sister, I've been waiting to meet

you for a long time. It's too bad you never met our mother, I've been thinking about her lately. She was really beautiful."

"I never met her because your 'family' killed her. They took you, don't you see that?"

"Of course I do. They never lied to me, I know who I am. Her death was necessary, she was a hero. Every story has a sacrifice, in our case it was our mother who gave her life so that our destiny would be realized."

"They brainwashed you. Can't you realize that and just stop this? I don't want to die, and I don't want to kill you."

"I'm not going to kill you little sister, I would never do that."

"Well if you don't stop doing what you're doing... I'm gonna have to fight you... and you're gonna have to defend yourself." She says regretfully. He jumps down.

"We were meant to rule this place, not just live in it. It's the way it was always meant to be. We are more than them. We are gods."

"...Well I'm sorry brother but I just don't see it that way." Jane steps farther into the bridge. She stands in the center of it, waiting for him.

"You know the prophecy, if we fight, we die." He tells her.

"I have to stop you, if not today then tomorrow, but since we're here now..."

"...I could hurt your friends," he says looking out at the street behind her. "Could persuade you to at least try to see things my way."

Jane lifts her hand to the sky, her eyes glowing like stars. A thick barrier forms like a dome around them. The snow stops falling. From the street her friends can see see the light-green sphere. Impenetrable, like an island a thousand miles away.

"It's just us in here big brother."

"...You took his power... did he die honorably?"

"No, he died screaming. Like the animal he was. Like Caden, and like that witch you called mother."

Eli's easy demeanor shifts ragged ans stiff.

"You don't know who you're talking to."

"I thought you were my brother, who would never hurt me?"

"I said I wouldn't _kill_you..." Eli moves to the center of the bridge. The wind stops blowing. In the barrier only _they_exist. "Never said wouldn't hurt." The bridge shakes as he gather his power.

He lifts his hands to her- she does the same- together they are locked, equal in power. She deflects the force, the side of the bridge explodes- she runs to him.

A straight jab to his chest- he blocks the left hook, he grabs the side of her head and smashes it down to the ground. The pain is blinding, without thought she takes his arm and pulls it up exposing his ribs, with her other arm she throws a hard punch. Eli is knocked back by the force. Jane stands. He lays a hand on the brick and the part of the bridge beneath her starts to shake an crumble. Before she can jump the bridge gives and she falls into the icy water below. In the dark, beneath the river, in the cold and clear she finds herself lost. Jane uses all her power to manipulate the waters.

They twist and turn and soon the river forms itself around her and she is lifted up. Like a backward waterfall she is taken back up the bridge and placed in front of her brother once again. She uses her force to lift the river over the both of them and sends it crashing down on his head.

Eli repels it and water explodes from all sides. Jane runs at him once more, she hits him in the face stomach and chest, he tries to block but she is too fast, too powerful. She kicks his leg- knees, chest, she wraps her elbow around his throat and squeezes. He can't breathe, she tightens her grip. She can feel him fading, her only family. "I"m sorry, I don't want this." She cries. With his last bit of consciousness Eli takes a crystal from his pocket and squeezes it. He whispers something and she suddenly lets go.

Eli walks a few steps away from her. He stands rubbing his neck as she remains still, her eyes distant and blank. He holds the crystal in front of her. "I will bring you back when it's time little sister." He says and puts the Crystal back in his pocket. Jane stands frozen, hypnotized. Eli turns to the barrier and lifts his hands. It shakes and rumbles but does not falter. "This will take a while." He says.

…...

On the street, Lilly watches as the barrier roars, ready to fall. "What's happening?" Nathan asks. Anne steps next to him. She closes her eyes, feeling the vibes from the bridge. "I think they stopped fighting, I think he's bringing it down." She says.  
>"Is she dead?" Crash asks.<br>"No... she doesn't have to be..." Lilly says remembering something.  
>"What do you mean?" Asks Nathan.<p>

"The prophecy said if they don't die together they will rule together, he's keeping her alive. He knows if they fight they both will die. He must be keeping her alive somehow, so he can start to change things."

"Change things, you mean rule the world? You mean kill people?"

"Yes, he'll change this world into fire and ash. We can't let him leave that barrier."

"He's More powerful than Risser, we can't beat him, if he gets out of there it's over. Jane is the only one that can get to him now." Crash tells her.

"I can't get through the barrier, but I can get to her." Lilly says. She steps a few feet from the group and closes her eyes. "Jane. Do you hear me?"

…...

Jane sits with Belle at the edge of a fountain. The colors in the water unatural and beautiful. Around them the world in bare, only the light in the fountain gives any indicating of life. "Can you hear me?" Lilly says behind Jane. Jane turns to look at her.

"I know you."

"Yes. I'm here to help."

"Help? I'm okay. I don't think I need help."

"You do. This isn't real, this isn't where you are."

"It's where I want to be. Here by the fountain with my friend." Jane says looking at Belle who stares at the water with a half smile.

"She's dead." Lilly says. "I'm sorry but your friend isn't here."  
>"Where is she?" Jane asks, puzzled.<br>"I don't know."

"Your other friends are alive, Crash, Nathan, Anne, they are living, but if you stay here they will die. We need your help. The barrier's coming down. Eli, our brother Eli is going to destroy everything. He is going to burn the cities and reign over the ashes. I need you to wake up, I need you to kill him. Wake up. Now."

…...

Jane opens her eyes. In front of her she sees Eli, he has his back to her, both hands raised, the barrier she lay now cracks and shakes. Coming down. She walks behind him and lays both hands on her brother's head. "Come on brother, it's time to go see mother."

…...

"Did it work?" Crash asks Lilly who smiles through her tears. She looks to the barrier. The light from within fades, it grows dark and dim. And then explodes in a bright white supernova. They are thrown clear off their feet. Windows shatter. The pavement cracks. Big Ben sways, rocks falling from high on top of the building to the ground below. London is rocked. The thunderous roar echoes and eventually fades. The Westminster bridge is but stones in the river.

A thick layer of dust covers all of Jane's friends. One by one they rise and stare at the ruins, one by one they leave. First Anne, then Lilly and Olson. Crash lingers, Nathan puts an arm around him and walks. They lag behind the girls. "I don't really want to go back to living in a basement." Crash says ignoring all other emotions for the time being.

"I guess we are kind of homeless aren't we?" Nathan says.

"Yeah. But maybe that's a good thing, maybe we should wander the countryside, fight demons, slay vampires, help the helpless."

Olson steps beside Crash, "That sounds good, maybe we can open an office."

Ahead of them Lilly walks outside the group, Anne jogs to her and takes her by the hand. "You're not." She says.

"What?" Lilly asks through dirty tears.

"I know what you're thinking, I can feel it. You're not a traitor. You saved us." Anne smiles. Lilly squeezes her hand.

"Any one else hungry?" Crash asks from behind them. The girls turn back, no one is going to talk tonight, not seriously. They nod and all together walk on, no one speaks of what's happened, or the friends they lost. They walk on as a news crew passes by and police sirens blare. People begin to fill the streets heading toward the bridge, a crowds pile in from all sides and before long they are no longer a part of it. No one asks who they are or what they did, no one knows, no one will ever know. They disappear. Behind buildings and in shadows, through back streets and alleys. In silence they mourn and drift, they joke and eat, they laugh, they live.

The End


End file.
